Military prosecutors plan to proceed with the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks, in June 2028. This decision follows the exclusion of a key confession to avoid further delays in a case that has endured significant postponements. Mohammed has been detained at Guantánamo Bay since 2003.
The federal government has opted not to challenge a military judge’s decision to dismiss Mohammed’s 2007 statements to the FBI. The prosecution team communicated that pursuing an appeal could risk the established trial date of June 5, 2028. This update comes as the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which claimed nearly 3,000 lives, approaches.
Prosecutors initially intended to use a confession obtained at Guantánamo Bay. However, forensic constraints such as severe coercion, which was cited by Lt. Col. Michael Schrama when suppressing the confession, halted this plan. Furthermore, Schrama noted Mohammed’s lack of legal counsel during the confession as a significant factor.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, together with co-defendants Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Ammar al-Baluchi, are scheduled for trial in June 2028. A prior plea agreement with the Biden administration in 2024 would have avoided the death penalty, but it was retracted following public opposition, resulting in prolonged legal proceedings.
Additionally, families of 9/11 victims have petitioned for the declassification of documents concerning Saudi Arabia’s purported connection to the attacks.