GUANTANAMO BAY, Aug 29 (Alliance News): A US military judge has rejected confessions made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks, ruling that statements he gave to FBI agents were not voluntary and cannot be used at trial.
Judge Lt Col Michael Schrama said Mohammed’s 2007 statements were tainted by the “unbroken continuation” of coercive treatment he had experienced while in CIA custody, according to the ruling.
Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and held at secret CIA detention facilities before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.
During his CIA detention, Mohammed was subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, including repeated waterboarding, before later being questioned by FBI agents.
The ruling represents a setback for prosecutors, who had regarded Mohammed’s later statements as important evidence in the long-running case.
Schrama has scheduled June 5, 2028, for Mohammed and three co-defendants to stand trial before a military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The judge rejected a prosecution proposal to begin the trial in January 2027, saying additional time was needed to resolve outstanding pretrial evidentiary and compliance issues.
The trial will begin with the selection of military panel members who will serve as the jury. Opening statements are expected 30 days after the panel is seated, followed by prosecution evidence and the defence case before the sentencing phase.
The latest ruling could result in further delays if prosecutors challenge the decision.
Mohammed and three co-defendants — Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak bin ‘Atash, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali — are accused of conspiring to carry out the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
The attacks involved the hijacking of four passenger aircraft. Two planes were flown into New York’s World Trade Center, another struck the Pentagon, while a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to regain control of the aircraft.
The case has been delayed by legal disputes for nearly two decades, particularly over evidence, interrogation methods and the treatment of defendants in US custody.
In 2024, Mohammed and two of his co-defendants agreed to plead guilty under agreements that would have spared them the death penalty.
The agreements were approved by the official overseeing the Pentagon’s Guantanamo military commission but were later revoked by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin following criticism from Republican lawmakers.
A US appeals court subsequently blocked the defendants from pleading guilty under the agreements, reversing decisions by a military judge and the US Court of Military Commission Review that had supported the plea deals.
Families of September 11 victims have expressed concern over the prolonged proceedings and the possibility of further delays before a final resolution is reached.
The Guantanamo detention facility was established by President George W. Bush in 2002 to hold foreign militant suspects captured following the September 11 attacks.
The military commission proceedings have since faced repeated legal challenges over the admissibility of evidence, interrogation practices and the treatment of detainees in US custody.
