Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Finally Faces Trial After Years of Delays Over Claims He Was Tortured in Guantanamo

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of being the chief planner of the 9/11 attacks, is due to face a US military trial in June 2028, a judge ruled on Thursday, 27 August 2026. The 61-year-old Pakistani national has been held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba since 2006, with his case repeatedly delayed by plea negotiations, the COVID-19 pandemic and disputes over alleged torture in US custody.

The new trial date, set by military commissions judge Michael Schrama, marks another attempt to move one of the most long-running cases arising from the attacks towards court proceedings.

Mohammed is accused of orchestrating the plot in which al-Qaeda hijackers seized four passenger aircraft and carried out attacks in New York and Washington, while a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control.

Nearly 3,000 people were killed across the four aircraft.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Trial Delayed by Years of Legal Disputes

Mohammed was captured in Pakistan in 2003 and charged with war crimes and murder in 2008. His prosecution has since become entangled in arguments over evidence, the treatment of detainees and whether the government has withheld information about his time in US custody.

A US Senate report published in 2014 found that Mohammed had been subjected to waterboarding 183 times. His defence lawyers have argued that efforts by the government to conceal details of alleged torture have contributed to the prolonged delay in bringing the case to trial.

While it's not established that these alleged actions alone caused every delay, it does, however, record that the case has been repeatedly pushed back. Additionally, negotiations over possible plea agreements have also played a role.

Mohammed is not facing trial alone. He is due to be prosecuted alongside Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, who are also suspected of conspiring in the attacks.

The latest schedule is itself the product of another legal decision. NBC News reported that Schrama rejected prosecutors' proposed January 2027 trial window before setting June 2028 as the new start date.

That means the proceedings remain almost 27 years removed from the attacks themselves.

Guilty Plea Already Collapsed

The long delay between the 9/11 attacks and a trial has shaped much of Mohammed's legal case. He has spent about 20 years in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, while prosecutors and defence lawyers have argued over whether evidence against him can be used in court.

Another possible way to end the case also fell apart. An appeals court last summer rejected a proposed agreement that would have allowed Mohammed to plead guilty while avoiding the possibility of the death penalty.

That ruling closed off one way of resolving the case without a full military trial. The latest decision has now set a date for proceedings to begin, although the case has already seen several planned trial dates delayed or abandoned.

The allegations against Mohammed have not been proven in court. He has not been convicted of planning the 9/11 attacks, and the military commission will consider the charges against him as the case moves forward.

Torture Claims in Guantanamo Still a Legal Loophole

His treatment in US custody is also expected to remain an important legal issue. Defence lawyers have argued that evidence and statements linked to his detention and alleged torture must be examined before the trial can proceed.

For prosecutors, the new ruling gives them a timetable for a case that has been delayed for years. For the defence, questions about what happened to Mohammed while he was held by the US remain a major part of the legal battle.

The 9/11 attacks happened almost 25 years ago, but the case against the man accused of helping plan them is still closely linked to what happened afterwards. That includes his capture in Pakistan, his years at Guantanamo Bay and the continuing dispute over whether evidence obtained after alleged mistreatment can be used at trial.

June 2028 is now the next key date in the case. Mohammed and the three other defendants are due to face the military commission then, provided the proceedings go ahead as scheduled.