Born in United States · Nationality American — Crime / mafias / terrorism / criminal cases

Nidal Hasan

Documented profile covering 8 controversies, including “Military appeals: Convictions and death sentence upheld after examination of dozens of grounds” and “Decision to represent himself at capital trial”.

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Profile No. 2291 · Updated on 12 October 2026

8Documented controversies+ 1 background event

7Sources

1 followed by a conviction

§ Legal statuses reflect the documented sources as of the date shown; they replace neither court decisions nor the presumption of innocence. Counts are not a rating. Methodology

I. Documented controversies

Case · 5 documented stages

Military appeals: Convictions and death sentence upheld after examination of dozens of grounds

Conviction

2020–2024

Military appeals: Convictions and death sentence upheld after examination of dozens of grounds

Conviction

The military appeals court and then the CAAF examined numerous grounds relating in particular to self-representation, capital procedure, trial publicity and sentencing. The CAAF ultimately upheld the findings of guilt and death sentence.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, No. 21-0193/ARCourt decisionVery high reliability
[2]
Justia / U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, 84 M.J. 181 (C.A.A.F. 2024)Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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2013

Decision to represent himself at capital trial

Conviction

Hasan dismissed his defence team as lead counsel and exercised his right to represent himself, with military lawyers retained as standby counsel.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, No. 21-0193/ARCourt decisionVery high reliability
[2]
Justia / U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, 84 M.J. 181 (C.A.A.F. 2024)Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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August 2013

Acknowledgement of being gunman and absence of substantive factual defence

Conviction

In his opening statement while representing himself, Hasan acknowledged being the gunman and explained that he had 'changed sides'. He subsequently offered very little factual challenge and did not present a substantive defence case.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, No. 21-0193/ARCourt decisionVery high reliability
[2]
Justia / U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, 84 M.J. 181 (C.A.A.F. 2024)Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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23–28 August 2013

Conviction for thirteen premeditated murders and thirty-two attempts, followed by death sentence

Conviction

The military panel found Hasan guilty of thirteen counts of premeditated murder and thirty-two counts of attempted premeditated murder. Days later, it imposed the death penalty, dismissal from the Army and forfeiture of pay and allowances.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
U.S. ArmyFort Hood shooter Hasan sentenced to deathOfficial documentVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, No. 21-0193/ARCourt decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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5 November 2009

Fort Hood shooting: Thirteen killed and thirty-one injured according to CAAF findings

Conviction

Hasan entered the Soldier Readiness Processing Center at Fort Hood and opened fire. The Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces describes thirteen deaths and thirty-one people physically injured; at trial, thirty-two attempted murder counts were upheld.

State of the evidence: Established by a court
Legal status — source text: Convicted of 13 premeditated murders and 32 attempted murders
Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
Justia / U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, 84 M.J. 181 (C.A.A.F. 2024)Court decisionVery high reliability
[2]
U.S. ArmyFort Hood shooter Hasan sentenced to deathOfficial documentVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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2013

Attempted defence based on protecting Taliban rejected by judge

Civil / administrative proceedings

Hasan wanted to argue that he had acted to protect Taliban fighters from American soldiers about to be deployed. The judge rejected this 'defence of others' theory as legally inapplicable.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 1

[1]
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesUnited States v. Hasan, No. 21-0193/ARCourt decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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June–December 2012

Beard dispute: Six contempt findings and shaving order overturned; judge removed for appearance of bias

Conviction — against a third party

Protagonist not prosecuted — these proceedings are not counted in their formal charges or convictions.

Hasan refused to shave, citing his religion. The military judge repeatedly found him in contempt, excluded him from the courtroom and ordered him to be forcibly shaved.

State of the evidence: Documented
Attribution: Directly implicated
Role of the person profiled: Protagonist not prosecuted

Sources · 1

[1]
Justia / U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed ForcesHasan v. Gross, 71 M.J. 416 (C.A.A.F. 2012)Court decisionVery high reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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December 2008–2009

Correspondence with Anwar al-Awlaki reviewed before attack without in-depth investigation

Investigation

Nidal Hasan exchanged numerous emails with Anwar al-Awlaki, then a radical imam in Yemen. Messages were examined by counterterrorism teams, but analysts initially interpreted them as consistent with his professional research and no in-depth investigation into Hasan was opened.

Attribution: Directly implicated

Sources · 2

[1]
The Washington PostHasan had intensified contact with clericPressHigh reliability
[2]
The Washington PostFBI to probe panels that reviewed e-mails from alleged Fort Hood gunmanPressHigh reliability

Last verified: 15 September 2026

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II. Documented background

Documented biographical or institutional milestones (elections, appointments, foundings, acquisitions…). These are not controversies and are not counted as such.

September 2025–2026
2025 request for President Trump to approve execution warrant; no execution date set in official May 2026 source
In September 2025, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth asked President Donald Trump to sign the warrant required to authorise and order Hasan's execution.
Sources · 1
1. The Army Lawyer / U.S. Army — From Soldier to 'Condemned Prisoner': A Review of Modern Military Death Sentence Procedure

III. Constellation of documented links

No documented link with another published profile for now.

Two profiles are linked when a documented controversy of one names the other. The link points to that controversy and its sources; it does not indicate a personal relationship.

IV. Has something changed?

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I. Documented controversies

Sources · 2

Sources · 2

Sources · 2

Sources · 2

Sources · 2

Sources · 1

Sources · 1

Sources · 2

II. Documented background

2025 request for President Trump to approve execution warrant; no execution date set in official May 2026 source

III. Constellation of documented links

IV. Has something changed?

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