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Judge throws out KSM confession in 9/11 case in blow to prosecution
USA Today • • nation
Key Points:
- A U.S. military judge has ruled that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s 2007 confession to FBI agents regarding his role in the 9/11 attacks was not given voluntarily, making it inadmissible at trial.
- The ruling by Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama undermines the prosecution’s key evidence and further delays the long-running death penalty case, with trial now set for June 2028.
- Mohammed was subjected to harsh CIA interrogations, including waterboarding, before FBI questioning, and the judge concluded the FBI confession was tainted by fear of continued abuse.
- Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling, which comes shortly after an appeals court blocked guilty pleas that would have spared Mohammed and co-defendants the death penalty.
- Mohammed, known as the “principal architect” of the 9/11 attacks, remains a high-profile detainee at Guantanamo Bay, where legal proceedings have been repeatedly delayed due to disputes over evidence and treatment.
