Trial for 9/11 accused, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, set for June 2028 | September 11 News
After two decades at Guantánamo Bay, trials for four alleged September 11 conspirators have been scheduled for 2028.
A U.S. military judge has ordered Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, identified as the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks, and three co-defendants to stand trial more than 20 years after their arrests. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama issued the scheduling order on Wednesday, setting the opening proceedings for June 5, 2028.
This ruling follows a decision by a U.S. appeals court that blocked plea deals which would have allowed Mohammed and two co-defendants to avoid the death penalty. The case has faced numerous delays due to disputes over evidence obtained while the defendants were held in CIA facilities, where they reported being subjected to torture.
Schrama rejected a prosecution request to initiate the trial in early 2027, stating that the proposed timeline did not allow sufficient time to address pretrial evidentiary and compliance motions. “A realistic trial date must account for the hearing and resolution of pretrial evidentiary and compliance motions,” he stated in the ruling.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will stand trial alongside co-defendants Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali. The process will begin with the selection of a jury composed of military service members, followed by opening statements 30 days later. The defense is expected to present its case 60 days after the prosecution concludes.
In 2024, Mohammed and two of his co-defendants reached an agreement that would have spared them from the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas. However, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked this deal shortly thereafter, a move recently upheld by an appeals court.
Mohammed was captured by U.S. forces in Pakistan in March 2003 after being recognized as one of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s key operators. He spent three years in clandestine CIA detention before being transferred to Guantánamo Bay in 2006.
