Military judge sets June 2028 trial date for alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

A U.S. military judge ruled on Wednesday that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and three co-defendants will face trial in summer 2028. The trial date, set for June 5, 2028, is 18 months later than the January 2027 start time requested by prosecutors. The delay is necessary to resolve pretrial disputes, including disagreements over the admissibility of evidence, according to Air Force Lt. Col. Michael A. Schrama's ruling.

The case has been ongoing for over two decades, with the military and successive administrations facing challenges in bringing the accused to justice. Mohammed is charged with developing and directing the plot to crash hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, while another co-defendant is accused of flying the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

The trial follows a federal appeals court's rejection of a deal that would have allowed Mohammed to plead guilty, potentially sparing him the risk of execution, in exchange for life sentences without parole for himself and two of his co-defendants.