Where Is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Now? 9/11 Mastermind Remains at Guantanamo Bay as Trial Date Set for 2028
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, remains in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 25 years after the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Mohammed has been detained at Guantanamo since 2006, following years in secret CIA custody after his capture in Pakistan in 2003. Despite being accused of playing a central role in planning the 9/11 attacks, he has never gone to trial.
The U.S. government accuses Mohammed of being the principal architect of the 9/11 plot. According to a Justice Department indictment, he was closely associated with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and proposed using hijacked airplanes as weapons against buildings.
When Is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Trial?
A military judge has set June 5, 2028, as the trial date for Mohammed and other defendants accused in the 9/11 plot. However, after more than two decades of legal delays, it remains uncertain whether the trial will actually take place on that date.
Mohammed faces charges connected to the 9/11 attacks, including terrorism and murder-related allegations.
Why Has Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Trial Taken So Long?
Legal disputes over evidence, Mohammed’s treatment in CIA custody and the military-commission process have repeatedly delayed proceedings. The latest developments have raised fresh questions about whether prosecutors can successfully take the case to trial.
After his 2003 capture, Mohammed was subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, including repeated waterboarding, while held in secret CIA detention.
Those interrogation methods have become central to the legal battle because defense lawyers have argued that statements obtained after torture cannot be used against him.
A recent ruling barred prosecutors from using a 2007 FBI confession because of concerns about its connection to the earlier CIA interrogations, dealing another setback to the prosecution.
In 2011, prosecutors formally referred Mohammed and four other defendants accused of involvement in the 9/11 plot to the military commission system.
In 2009, the Obama administration had planned to prosecute Mohammed and the other defendants in federal court in New York. That plan was abandoned after intense political opposition and security concerns. The cases were subsequently returned to the military-commission system.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s Plea Deal
A proposed plea agreement that could have resolved the case without the death penalty collapsed in 2025. The agreement had been opposed by some 9/11 victims’ families who wanted Mohammed to face the possibility of execution.
The collapse left prosecutors and defense lawyers facing the prospect of another lengthy legal battle over whether the case could proceed to trial.
