Military judge schedules June 2028 trial for four 9/11 defendants
A military judge has set a trial date of 5 June 2028 for four men accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks, including alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. The case has been delayed by disputes over evidence, particularly confessions obtained under harsh CIA interrogation methods. The judge rejected a prosecution request for an earlier start, citing the need to resolve pre-trial motions.
Judge Lt Col Michael Schrama, the fifth military judge assigned since the defendants were arraigned in 2012, issued the trial order just weeks before the 25th anniversary of the attacks. The case has been repeatedly delayed by disputes over confessions obtained through harsh CIA interrogation methods, with prosecutors also invoking national security privilege to withhold details from defense attorneys.
The four defendants face the death penalty in what is considered one of the most complex capital cases in US history. A fifth defendant, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, was deemed mentally incompetent due to PTSD from "enhanced interrogations" and is being handled separately. The defendants have also petitioned the Supreme Court over a blocked plea deal that would have allowed life sentences instead of trial.
This ruling could shape public perception of military justice and national security policy for years. Victims' families may face prolonged emotional strain as the trial date extends further into the future, while the case's focus on torture-tainted evidence could influence debates about interrogation methods and legal fairness. The outcome may also affect how future terrorism cases are prosecuted, potentially setting precedents for handling classified evidence and coerced confessions in military commissions.