Nidal Hasan has received a death sentence for his 2009 shooting spree in Fort Hood, Texas
Nidal Hasan, the former army major who killed 13 soldiers at a Texas military base, will likely be forced to shave as he awaits his death sentence.
Military prison officials at Fort Leavenworth released a statement saying: “All inmates are considered soldiers and are treated as such. All inmates at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks must abide by Army Regulation 670-1 (grooming standards which prohibit beards) unless there is an exception to policy granted.”
For more than a year, Hasan had been seeking an exemption from the rule, wanting to keep his beard for religious reasons. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces allowed him to keep his facial hair during trial proceedings.
According to army regulations, prisoners who resist grooming may be tied to a restraint chair and then shaved. The use of force is permitted if it is videotaped and explained by a “detailed written report”.
Hasan was charged with killing 13 people and wounding 31 in November 2009. The American-born Muslim said he did it on behalf of overseas Islamic insurgents against American aggression.
[AAP]