9/11 Accused Mastermind Trial Set for June 2028
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, and three co-defendants are scheduled to go on trial before a US military tribunal in June 2028, more than two decades after the prosecution began.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Trial Set for June 2028
US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama ordered the trial to begin on June 5, 2028, at the military commission in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Mohammed will be tried alongside Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali. All four face charges connected to the 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
The proceedings will begin with selection of a panel composed entirely of US military personnel who will serve as the jury. Opening statements are scheduled to begin after the panel is seated.
Judge Rejects Earlier 2027 Trial Date
Prosecutors had sought to begin the trial in January 2027, but the judge ruled that the timetable would not provide sufficient time to resolve outstanding evidentiary and procedural issues.
The case has faced years of delays involving classified evidence, interrogation methods and disputes over statements obtained while defendants were held in US custody.
9/11 Plea Deals Previously Blocked
A 2024 plea agreement involving Mohammed and two co-defendants would have allowed them to plead guilty while avoiding the death penalty.
The agreement was later revoked, and subsequent court proceedings prevented the plea arrangements from taking effect.
Capital punishment therefore remains a potential outcome if the defendants are convicted.
Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and remains one of the most prominent detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.
