Appeals Court Blocks Plea Deal for 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
The U.S. Court of Appeals rejected plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and co-defendants, thwarting their bid to avoid the death penalty. The decision revives legal proceedings in Guantanamo Bay, originally halted by former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Appeals are considered, including a potential U.S. Supreme Court review.
A U.S. appeals court has blocked Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-defendants from pleading guilty to the September 11 attacks under deals that would have spared them the death penalty. The action revives decades-long legal gridlock surrounding the Guantanamo Bay detainees.
The ruling by a 2-1 panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit disrupts previous arrangements made with the Pentagon's war court, which were later rescinded by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The military judge ruled against Austin's authority to overturn the plea deals, a decision supported by the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review.
The appeals court's decision, authored by Judges Patricia Millett and Neomi Rao, asserted Austin's right to revoke the agreements, emphasizing the public's right to military commission trials. U.S. Circuit Judge Robert Wilkins dissented. Attorneys for the detainees are considering further appeals, potentially to the Supreme Court.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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