By Mardiyyah Abubakar
US President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
The Pentagon announced the decision on Monday, saying Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the execution and Trump approved it.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Secretary of the Army would determine the date and location of the execution.
A military jury sentenced Hasan to death in 2013 after convicting him over the November 5, 2009, mass shooting at Fort Hood.
The attack also wounded more than two dozen people. Twelve of those killed and 30 of the wounded were soldiers.
Hasan, a US-born Muslim of Palestinian descent, opened fire at a medical facility on the sprawling military base.
The facility was used as a staging point for troops preparing to deploy to combat zones.
A civilian police officer who responded to the attack shot and seriously wounded Hasan.
During his trial, Hasan represented himself and called no witnesses. He also did not testify or deny the charges.
His court-appointed lawyers raised concerns that he was seeking execution.
If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the first by the US military since 1961.
