Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to Face Trial in June 2028
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — WEB DESK: A US military judge has ordered Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and three co-defendants to stand trial before a military tribunal beginning June 5, 2028, marking a major development in a prosecution stalled by nearly two decades of legal disputes.
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama issued the trial schedule, rejecting prosecutors’ request to begin proceedings in January 2027.
Schrama concluded that the earlier date would not provide enough time to resolve outstanding pretrial evidentiary and procedural issues. The June 2028 schedule itself remains dependent on the case meeting a series of legal deadlines and could still face further delays.
Mohammed will be tried alongside Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali — also known as Ammar al-Baluchi — and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi. The four are among the remaining detainees held at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
What Happens When the Trial Begins?
Under the judge’s schedule, proceedings will begin with the selection of a panel composed entirely of US military service members, who will effectively serve as the jury under the military commission system.
Opening statements are scheduled to begin 30 days after the panel is seated. Prosecutors will then present their evidence, followed by opportunities for defence motions and responses before the defence presents its principal case. A sentencing phase would follow if convictions are returned.
The defendants face charges stemming from the coordinated September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people after hijacked passenger aircraft struck New York’s World Trade Center and the Pentagon, while another crashed in Pennsylvania.
Mohammed is accused of developing and directing the plot.
Why Has the 9/11 Trial Taken So Long?
The military prosecution has been plagued by years of procedural disputes, changes in judges and arguments over what evidence prosecutors should be permitted to use.
A central legal issue has involved evidence and statements obtained after the defendants were captured and held in secret CIA detention facilities, where they were subjected to interrogation methods that have been described as torture. Those circumstances have generated extensive litigation over whether subsequent statements and other evidence are admissible.
Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006. A previous trial date was set for 2021 but was later cancelled.
The current military commission proceedings have therefore become one of the longest-running and most legally complicated cases arising from the September 11 attacks.
Plea Agreement Blocked
The new trial date follows another major development involving proposed plea agreements.
Mohammed and two co-defendants had reached agreements that would have allowed them to plead guilty while removing the death penalty as a possible punishment.
The proposed arrangements became politically contentious and were subsequently challenged. A US appeals court ultimately prevented the defendants from proceeding under those agreements, keeping the possibility of capital punishment in the case.
The failed plea agreements had offered the prospect of resolving portions of the case without a full capital trial, but they also divided families of September 11 victims. Some supported the agreements as a route towards finality and additional answers, while others opposed any arrangement that eliminated the possibility of execution.
Trial Would Come Nearly 27 Years After Attacks
If the June 5, 2028 date holds, the trial will begin nearly 27 years after the September 11 attacks.
The proceedings will also come roughly a quarter-century after Mohammed’s capture and more than two decades after his transfer to Guantanamo.
The lengthy timeline reflects the extraordinary legal complexity surrounding the military commission system, classified evidence, interrogation practices and repeated disputes over how the defendants should be prosecuted.
The scheduling order nevertheless establishes one of the clearest timelines yet for bringing Mohammed and his three co-defendants before a military tribunal.
Whether that date ultimately holds will depend on the resolution of the significant pretrial issues that prompted Judge Schrama to reject prosecutors’ preferred 2027 start.
