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Supreme Court rejects 9/11 mastermind's bid to revive plea deal
The US Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and two co-defendants, Mustafa al Hawsawi and Walid bin Attash. The decision prevents the defendants from reviving a 2024 plea agreement that would have allowed them to avoid the death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas and life sentences without parole.
The original agreement, reached with the Office of Military Commissions, was rescinded in August 2024 by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Austin argued that the authority to decide on capital punishment in such significant cases rests solely with the Defense Secretary. This decision was previously upheld by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh recused himself from the case. The legal proceedings have been delayed for decades due to disputes regarding the admissibility of evidence obtained through CIA enhanced interrogation techniques. Mohammed and his co-defendants, who have been held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba for over two decades, are now scheduled to face a military commission trial beginning in June 2028.
Entities
Al Qaeda · Guantanamo Bay · Khalid Sheikh Mohammed · Lloyd Austin · Mustafa al Hawsawi · Supreme Court of the United States · United States Supreme Court
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the Defense Secretary's authority to revoke the deals. world-today-journal.com · chacodiapordia.com · www.devdiscourse.com · www.independent.co.uk
- [● 16 SOURCES] The plea deal would have provided life sentences without parole in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. world-today-journal.com · mymotherlode.com · www.tag24.com · www.cbsnews.com · pulptastic.com · +10 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The defendants were subjected to torture at CIA secret prisons before being moved to Guantanamo. dominicanaaldia.com · www.tag24.com · www.cbsnews.com · pulptastic.com
- [● 16 SOURCES] Former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked the plea agreements in 2024. world-today-journal.com · mymotherlode.com · www.tag24.com · chacodiapordia.com · www.devdiscourse.com · +10 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the Supreme Court's consideration of the appeal. www.cbsnews.com · pulptastic.com · internewscast.com · www.wnd.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] A military trial for the defendants is scheduled to begin in June 2028. dominicanaaldia.com · www.tag24.com · chacodiapordia.com · www.devdiscourse.com · www.independent.co.uk · +8 more
- [● 17 SOURCES] The US Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants. dominicanaaldia.com · world-today-journal.com · mymotherlode.com · www.tag24.com · chacodiapordia.com · +11 more
- [● 10 SOURCES] The co-defendants involved in the plea deal are Mustafa al Hawsawi and Walid bin 'Atash. dominicanaaldia.com · www.tag24.com · chacodiapordia.com · www.devdiscourse.com · www.independent.co.uk · +5 more