A United States military judge has scheduled the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and three co-defendants for June 5, 2028.
According to Channels Television, citing an AFP report, Mohammed was regarded as one of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s senior lieutenants before his capture in Pakistan in March 2003.
The proceedings will take place before a military tribunal at the United States naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Three Co-Defendants to Stand Trial
Mohammed will be tried alongside Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, also known as Ammar al-Baluchi, and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi.
US prosecutors accuse the four men of participating in the planning and execution of the attacks in which hijacked aircraft struck the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, while another crashed in Pennsylvania.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. The allegations against the defendants remain to be determined by the military tribunal.
Judge Rejects January 2027 Date
Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama rejected prosecutors’ request to begin the trial in January 2027.
The judge ruled that the proposed date would not provide sufficient time to resolve outstanding pretrial disputes, including arguments over the evidence that may be presented during the proceedings.
The trial is expected to begin with the selection of a panel composed of military service members who will perform the role of jurors.
Opening statements will follow after the panel is constituted, before the prosecution and defence present their respective cases.
The 2028 date remains dependent on the parties meeting procedural deadlines and could still be postponed if unresolved legal issues persist.
Case Delayed for More Than Two Decades
Mohammed was captured during an operation in Pakistan in March 2003.
He was subsequently held in secret detention facilities operated by the Central Intelligence Agency before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.
The prosecution has faced years of legal disputes, particularly over the admissibility of statements obtained while the defendants were held in CIA custody.
A previous trial date fixed for 2021 was cancelled, further extending one of the longest-running terrorism prosecutions in United States history.
Plea Agreement Rejected
A proposed plea arrangement would have allowed Mohammed and two co-defendants to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
However, the agreement became the subject of political and legal disputes and was eventually blocked by a federal appeals court, returning the case to the path of a full military trial.
Mohammed and his co-defendants remain detained at Guantanamo Bay pending the commencement of proceedings.
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