Trial for accused mastermind of 9/11 attacks set for June 2028

In a recent ruling, a US Air Force judge has set the date for the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, and three co-defendants for June 2028. The trial, to be held at a military tribunal, follows a two-decade-long legal impasse surrounding the four detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Recently, a US appeals court denied Mohammed and two co-defendants the option to plead guilty under an agreement that would have protected them from the death penalty. This decision overturned earlier rulings by a military judge and the US Court of Military Commission Review that had approved the plea deal. The agreement had been offered by the Pentagon's Guantanamo war court overseer in 2022, but was later withdrawn by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin due to Republican criticism.

Under Judge Michael Schrama's 11-page order, Mohammed and his co-defendants - Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin Atash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali - will proceed to trial on June 5, 2028. The proceedings will begin with the selection of a jury panel comprising only service members, followed by opening statements, the presentation of evidence, and the opportunity for both sides to argue motions and rebut one another.

The defense will present its main evidence 60 calendar days after the prosecution concludes its case, and the trial will conclude with a sentencing phase.