Supreme Court rejects plea deal revival for alleged 9/11 mastermind

The Supreme Court declined to revive plea deals made in 2024 between military prosecutors and alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accomplices, CBS News and NBC News reported. The plea agreements, which would have resulted in life sentences and avoided the death penalty, were revoked by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shortly after being approved by a military commission judge.

The three men, captured in 2003 and held at Guantanamo Bay since 2006, face charges related to the September 11 attacks, including multiple offenses punishable by death. Their cases have been delayed due in part to disputes over the admissibility of evidence obtained during interrogations involving enhanced techniques.

The Supreme Court's rejection of the appeal removes a legal obstacle, allowing the military trial to proceed as scheduled in 2028, where the death penalty remains a possible outcome. Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not participate in the court's consideration of the case.

The defendants had initially agreed to plead guilty under the 2024 deals, which were approved by retired Brigadier General Susan Escallier, the Convening Authority for military commissions. However, the Biden administration's revocation of the agreements has kept the case in legal limbo until now.

A fourth alleged plotter, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, is also set for trial but was not part of the recent Supreme Court appeal, NBC News noted.