US Supreme Court rejects 9/11 mastermind's bid to revive plea deal

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices to revive their plea deals. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revoked the 2024 agreements after criticism from some victims' families. The three men are held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Why did the Supreme Court reject the 9/11 plea deal appeal?

The court issued a brief, unsigned opinion saying it would not take up the appeal. That leaves in place an appellate court ruling from last year, which found that Austin "acted within the bounds of his legal authority." Austin ordered the deals thrown out, sparking a legal battle over whether such a move was permitted.

What were the 9/11 plea deals?

Mohammed and two others charged with involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, struck pre-trial agreements in 2024 to avoid the death penalty. The deals were made during the administration of president Joe Biden.

After some victims' families criticized the agreements, Biden's defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, ordered them thrown out.

When will the 9/11 defendants go on trial?

The three men are among the handful of detainees still held at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay. They are set to go on trial in June 2028.

Mohammed, also known as "KSM," was considered one of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's top lieutenants before he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. Much of the legal jousting in the 9/11 defendants' cases has focused on whether they could be tried fairly after being tortured by the CIA.