Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man who planned September 11 attacks, reportedly agreed to a plea deal for a life sentence.
Alongside Mohammed, two other men Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi will also avoid the death penalty under the terms of the agreement. The plea deal, communicated to victims’ families, reveals that the defendants will admit guilt to all charges, including the murders specified in the indictment.
The deal is slated to be officially announced, with sentencing set to begin on August 5. A military commission at Guantánamo Bay will still need to accept the pleas, examine evidence, and hear from victims.
Khalid Mohammed was detained from Pakistan in 2003 and subjected to severe torture. The extended pretrial process has been complicated by issues like torture, delays from the pandemic, and political disagreements over the trial’s location.
Rights group praised plea deal as step toward accountability but lamented case’s prolonged pace and called for the closure of Guantánamo Bay. Thery also called for need for justice and an end to torture practices.
May 2 marks 13 years since al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan
