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Where the case against the alleged 9/11 plotters stands 25 years after the attack
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The trial of four alleged 9/11 plotters, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, is now scheduled to begin jury selection on June 5, 2028, after multiple delays and a rejected request to start in January 2027.
- The defendants face charges including conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, terrorism, and hijacking, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty; a fifth defendant was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial.
- The case has been complicated by the use of military commissions instead of federal courts, logistical challenges of holding hearings at Guantánamo Bay, and legal battles over evidence obtained through CIA interrogation techniques.
- A 2024 plea deal that could have avoided the death penalty was abandoned, and a recent ruling excluded key FBI statements made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, forcing prosecutors to rely on other evidence.
- Families of the victims express frustration over the prolonged pre-trial process and uncertainty about the trial proceeding as scheduled, emphasizing the importance of achieving justice after 25 years.
