9/11 plea deal appeal rejected by US Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two alleged accomplices seeking to revive plea deals that were later revoked.

Mohammed, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi reached pre-trial agreements in 2024 to avoid the death penalty. Lloyd Austin, who was US defense secretary under Joe Biden, later ordered the deals thrown out after criticism from some victims' families.

An appellate court ruled last year that Austin had acted within his legal authority. In a brief unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court said it would not take up the appeal.

The three men are among the remaining detainees at the US military base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and are set to go on trial in June 2028.

Mohammed, also known as KSM, was considered one of Osama bin Laden's top Al-Qaeda lieutenants before he was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. Legal disputes in the 9/11 cases have focused partly on whether defendants could receive a fair trial after being tortured by the CIA.