9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to Stand Trial in June 2028

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks, and three co-defendants have been ordered to stand trial before a military tribunal starting in June 2028. The order, issued by Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama, represents the latest milestone in a prosecution that has been mired in legal deadlock for two decades.

The detainees have been held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since the aftermath of the attacks. Legal proceedings have faced numerous setbacks, including a recent US appeals court decision that blocked plea agreements that could have spared Mohammed and two co-defendants the death penalty. This appellate decision overturned previous rulings that had supported the plea deals.

The proposed plea agreement, initially accepted by the Pentagon's Guantanamo war court overseer, was later revoked by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin amid criticism from Republican lawmakers. The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection from service members, followed by opening statements and the presentation of evidence, with the defense presenting its case after the prosecution concludes.

Lieutenant Colonel Schrama rejected the prosecution's earlier proposal to commence the trial in January 2027. He determined that this timeline would not allow adequate time for the resolution of pre-trial evidentiary and compliance motions. Mohammed remains the most prominent inmate at the Guantanamo detention facility, established in 2002 by President George W. Bush to house foreign militant suspects.

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resolution of pretrial evidentiary and compliance motions