Trial of Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Set for June 2028

Military prosecutors are advancing with the trial against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind behind the September 11 attacks. This long-awaited trial is scheduled for June 2028, despite the absence of a key confession. The federal government has decided not to appeal a military judge’s recent decision to exclude statements Mohammed made to the FBI in 2007.

The prosecution’s liaison to victims emphasized the importance of maintaining the trial date set for June 5, 2028, to avoid additional delays. According to The New York Post, the decision came a week before the 25th anniversary of the attacks that took the lives of nearly 3,000 individuals.

“An appeal could jeopardize the hard-earned trial date,” the liaison stated in a letter.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been detained at Guantánamo Bay since 2003. He is accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001 attacks. These plans initially included using a confession obtained at Guantanamo Bay, where he has been held for almost two decades. Alongside him, his alleged co-conspirators — Walid bin Attash, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, and Ammar al-Baluchi — are also set to face trial in 2028.

In a previous agreement, Mohammed and two co-defendants reached a plea deal with the Biden administration in 2024, which would have avoided the death penalty. However, following public backlash, this deal was withdrawn, resulting in more complex litigation.

Lt. Col. Michael Schrama set the trial date last month but later suppressed the confession. He identified “severe coercion” as a reason and highlighted Mohammed’s lack of legal consultation opportunities. The prosecution’s strategy aims to avoid prolonged legal processes since appeals can take years, thus delaying justice for victims’ families.

Meanwhile, in a separate matter, families of 9/11 victims have requested the Trump administration to release documents concerning Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the attacks.