A US Air Force judge has set June 2028 as the date for the military tribunal trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks, along with three co-defendants. This decision marks a significant progression in a case that has been delayed for nearly 20 years due to extensive legal challenges involving the four detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.
In a notable development last month, a US appeals court blocked Mohammed and two of his co-defendants from entering guilty pleas under agreements that would have eliminated the possibility of death sentences. This ruling overturned earlier approvals by both a military judge and the US Court of Military Commission Review, which had upheld the plea deals.
These agreements, reached the previous year, had initially been authorized by the official overseeing the Pentagon’s Guantanamo military commissions. However, then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin withdrew his endorsement in August following strong opposition from Republican lawmakers.
the 11-page scheduling order issued by Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama, the trial for Mohammed and his co-defendants—Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin ‘Atash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali—will commence on June 5, 2028. The proceedings will begin with the selection of a panel composed entirely of service members who will serve as the jury under military justice rules.
Opening statements are set to start 30 calendar days after the panel is seated, followed by the prosecution’s presentation of evidence. Subsequently, the defendants may file motions for acquittal, which both sides will have the opportunity to argue and rebut. Prosecutors will then be allowed to reopen their case before the defense presents its main evidence 60 calendar days after the prosecution concludes.
The trial will conclude with a sentencing phase. Schrama rejected the prosecution’s suggestion to start the trial in January 2027, citing insufficient time to resolve pretrial evidentiary and compliance motions.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed remains the most prominent detainee at Guantanamo Bay, a facility established in 2002 by then-President George W. Bush to detain foreign militant suspects following the 9/11 attacks. He is accused of orchestrating the hijacking of passenger planes that were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths.
