Key Facts
• July 11, 2025: U.S. federal appeals court invalidates plea deal for three defendants.
• Defendants include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, alleged mastermind of 9/11 attacks.
• Plea deal exempted death penalty in exchange for guilty pleas.
• Decision reached by a 2-1 vote in Washington, D.C.
• July 2024: Pentagon announced defendants agreed to plea deal.
• Former Defense Secretary Austin revoked military court authority over pretrial agreements.
• Austin assumed responsibility and moved to void the plea deal.
• Defendants were held at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
Summary
A U.S. federal appeals court ruled on July 11, 2025, to invalidate a plea deal that exempted the death penalty for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others accused of orchestrating the September 11, 2001, attacks. The decision, made by a 2-1 vote, nullifies the agreement in which the defendants had agreed to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding capital punishment. The Pentagon had announced the plea deal in July 2024, but former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin later revoked the military court’s authority over pretrial agreements, taking responsibility and signaling his intent to void the deal. The defendants remain detained at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.
