Military judge sets trial date for alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

A military judge has scheduled a trial date for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, along with three co-defendants. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Schrama set the proceedings to begin on June 5, 2028. This decision was made on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, nearly 25 years after the attacks that killed almost 3,000 people.

The 2028 trial date is later than the January 2027 start that prosecutors had requested. Judge Schrama indicated that the additional time is necessary to address various pre-trial disputes, including disagreements over what evidence can be presented in court.

The case against Mohammed and his alleged accomplices has been mired in extensive delays for over two decades, largely due to legal conflicts concerning the admissibility of evidence obtained through CIA interrogation methods and disputes over a previously negotiated plea deal that was later revoked. The defendants have been held at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since 2003.