Supreme Court Rejects Alleged 9/11 Mastermind's Bid to Revive Plea Deal
The Supreme Court on Oct. 19 turned away an appeal from three men charged in the 9/11 attacks. They wanted to enforce plea deals the Pentagon withdrew in 2024.
- 2024 deals would have given the men life sentences instead of death.
- Then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked the deals days after a judge approved them.
- Military courts said Austin lacked authority; the D.C. Circuit sided with him.
- Appellants: Mohammed, Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi and Walid bin Attash.
Why it matters: The decision clears one barrier to a capital trial, but the prosecution still faces evidence problems. Disputes over CIA treatment of the defendants have stalled proceedings for years.
- A military judge excluded Mohammed's confession to FBI agents as involuntary.
- Prosecutors had called that confession the centerpiece of their case.
How 12 sources split on this story
Where they split: Victims' families disagree over whether the government should keep seeking the death penalty or accept guilty pleas.
Center coverage, 6 sources: The center emphasizes the prolonged delay, including victims' families who warned the prosecution may never conclude.
Left coverage, 5 sources: The left frames the story around the defendants' failed bid and the path to a capital trial, noting that CIA torture contributed to the delays.
What’s next: Mohammed is set to stand trial before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay in 2028.
- Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, a fourth defendant, was not part of the appeal.
- Can prosecutors win a conviction without Mohammed's FBI confession?
- Will the 2028 trial date hold after repeated delays?
