Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in 2003, but disputes over torture, evidence and a plea agreement have prolonged one of the most complex legal proceedings in the United States.

The trial of alleged mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three other defendants accused in the 9/11 attacks is set to begin on June 5, 2028, according to EFE.

  • Why it matters: By then, nearly 27 years will have passed since the attacks that killed 2,976 people and transformed U.S. security policy.

CIA Torture Complicated the 9/11 Trial for Years

Mohammed was captured in 2003 and transferred to Guantánamo in 2006, where he remains detained under strict security measures.

The case has been shaped by disputes over evidence obtained after interrogations and alleged torture while he was in CIA custody.

The dispute: Courts must determine which evidence can be used without relying on information obtained through controversial interrogation methods.

  • The case is being heard before a military commission, a special judicial system used to prosecute certain offenses related to armed conflict, rather than in an ordinary federal court.
  • Charges were initially filed in 2008 and reformulated under new rules in 2012. A trial date planned for 2021 also failed to materialize.

The Plea Deal Intended to Avoid Trial Also Fell Apart

In July 2024, Mohammed and two other defendants reached an agreement to plead guilty and avoid the death penalty.

That deal was later revoked, sending the case back toward a trial that still had unresolved legal issues.

  • The key fact: Mohammed is accused of proposing the idea of the attacks to Osama bin Laden and later overseeing their preparation, according to EFE.

9/11 Mastermind Trial Set for June 2028 After Years of Delays

Prosecutors proposed beginning the trial in January 2027, but military judge Michael Schrama concluded that the schedule was not feasible.

He therefore set June 5, 2028, as the new date, allowing more time to resolve pretrial issues before selecting the military jury.

  • The limitation: The date provides a new timeline for the 9/11 trial, but it does not guarantee that proceedings will actually begin that day if new legal disputes arise.

The September 11, 2001 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people. The process of determining the criminal responsibility of their alleged organizers remains unresolved more than two decades later.

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