Court Tosses Plea Deal For Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

On Friday, July 11, a national appeals tribunal successful Washington, D.C. tossed retired a plea woody that would person spared nan lives of nan alleged masterminds down al-Qaida’s Sept. 11, 2001, panic attacks connected nan United States. Under nan plea deal, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and 2 co-defendants would person received life sentences without nan anticipation of parole alternatively than nan decease punishment successful an statement betwixt nan prosecution and defense that was worked retired complete 2 years.

Long ineligible conflict complete 20 years

The U.S. subject has been trying to prosecute Mohammed and nan different defendants for much than 20 years. However, nan ineligible process has been slowed by various ineligible challenges.

Under nan Biden administration, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin rejected nan projected plea deal, arguing only nan defense caput should person nan authority to determine whether nan decease punishment should beryllium considered successful a lawsuit arsenic superior arsenic nan Sept. 11 attacks.

Court rulings connected authority to cancel plea deal

In December, a subject appeals tribunal ruled against Austin’s effort to cancel nan plea deal. On Friday, a three-judge sheet from nan U.S. Court of Appeals for nan District of Columbia Circuit sided pinch Austin successful a 2-1 decision, ruling that he did person nan authority to cancel nan agreement.

Mohammed’s defense lawyers based on that immoderate of nan grounds was obtained done torture, and questioned if that grounds is ineligible aliases ethical to usage successful court.

The 9/11 attacks and victims’ families’ reactions

Mohammed is accused of being nan personification who planned and oversaw nan 9/11 panic attacks, erstwhile hijackers collapsed planes into nan World Trade Center successful New York City and nan Pentagon successful Washington, D.C. Another hijacked plane, which was besides portion of nan plot, collapsed into a section successful Pennsylvania aft passengers tried to retake power from nan hijackers.

Family members of 9/11 victims had different opinions astir nan projected plea deal, nan Associated Press reported.

Some opposed it, believing that a afloat proceedings would beryllium nan champion measurement to execute justness and study much astir what happened. Others supported nan deal, reasoning it mightiness beryllium nan fastest and astir realistic measurement to extremity nan agelong process and perchance get answers.