Supreme Court refuses to revive plea deal for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to revive a plea agreement for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of planning the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The decision keeps the possibility of a death sentence on the table.

Under the deal, Mohammed would have pleaded guilty in exchange for life in prison without parole, removing the risk of execution. Military prosecutors and the Pentagon’s senior official for Guantanamo Bay had approved it, but then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin threw it out in 2024, saying a decision of that weight should rest with the defense secretary.

Defense lawyers argued that Austin acted too late. A divided federal appeals court panel ruled that he was within his authority, and the Supreme Court’s order leaves that ruling in place.

Families of 9/11 victims have been split over the plea deals, with some favoring a full trial and others seeing a plea as the best way to end the long-running case. A trial date has been set for 2028.