More than two decades after the 9/11 attacks, the man accused of masterminding them now has a trial date. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is set to go on trial in June 2028 along with three other men accused of conspiring in the attacks.
Mohammed is accused of orchestrating the plot to hijack four commercial planes on Sept. 11, 2001.
Two were flown into the World Trade Center and another hit the Pentagon. The fourth crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew fought back against the hijackers.
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Mohammed has been held at the U.S. naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, since 2006. He and his alleged co-conspirators — Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa al-Hawsawi — are among the last detainees being held there.
Why has it taken this long to get to trial?
The case has been tied up for years in legal fights, including over whether statements the defendants made after being tortured in CIA custody can be used against them.
There have also been years of disputes over plea deals, the death penalty and other pretrial issues. A trial was previously scheduled for 2021 but was later canceled.
Last year, a federal appeals court threw out a deal that would have allowed Mohammed to plead guilty without facing the death penalty.
Under that deal, he and two of his co-conspirators would have served life sentences without parole. They also would have been required to answer any lingering questions that families of the victims have about the attacks, according to The Associated Press.
What’s next?
Prosecutors wanted Mohammed’s trial to begin in January 2027, but the judge set it for June 2028 to give both sides more time to resolve the issues still before the court.
Jury selection is set to begin June 5, 2028. Opening statements are scheduled to begin 30 days after the jury members are empaneled, with prosecutors then beginning to present their evidence.
Once the prosecution rests, the defendants will have 14 days to seek a finding of not guilty under the Rules for Military Commissions, according to Fox News.
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