A US military judge has ordered that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, along with three co-defendants, stand trial more than two decades after their capture.
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama issued the order on Wednesday (February 26), scheduling the trial to begin on June 5, 2028. The decision comes after a US appeals court blocked plea deals that could have allowed Mohammed and two co-defendants to avoid the death penalty.
The case has been stalled for years due to disputes over evidence obtained while the suspects were held in CIA prisons and subjected to torture. Schrama rejected prosecutors' proposal to open the trial in early 2027, citing insufficient time to resolve the disputes.
“A realistic trial date must account for the hearing and resolution of pretrial evidentiary and compliance motions,” he wrote.
Mohammed stands trial along with Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali. Under the order, a jury of military members will be selected first, followed by opening statements 30 days later. The defense is expected to present its case 60 days after the prosecution concludes, and the trial will end with a sentencing phase.
Mohammed and two co-defendants had reached agreements in 2024 to avoid the possibility of execution in exchange for guilty pleas. However, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rescinded the deals within days, and an appeals court upheld his decision last month.
Mohammed was considered one of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's closest aides until his capture by US forces in Pakistan in March 2003. He spent three years in secret CIA prisons before being transferred to Guantánamo in 2006.
