9/11 Attacks Mastermind Trial Set for 2028

Guantánamo Bay Trial Date Set for June 2028

The trial scheduling comes after years of severe legal delays surrounding the military commission proceedings at Guantánamo Bay. According to reporting by El Comercio, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael A. Schrama stated in a court filing that prosecutors had initially requested a trial date in January 2027. However, the court granted an additional 18 months to resolve complex pre-trial motions, which center on heavy disputes regarding evidence admissibility.

The Torture Debate and CIA Black Sites

According to verified reports, Mohamed has been detained at Guantánamo since 2006 following his capture in March 2003 in Pakistan, where he operated as a senior lieutenant to Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Before his transfer to Cuba, he spent three years in secret CIA detention facilities, including one in Poland. During that clandestine custody, he was subjected to harsh interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. The central legal battle has focused on whether the use of torture legally contaminates and invalidates the government's evidence.

Co-Defendants and Legal Proceedings

Mohamed is tried alongside two co-defendants: Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al Hawsawi. According to reporting detailed by El Comercio, bin Attash is a Saudi-Yemeni Al Qaeda member accused of planning and intelligence tasks, while al Hawsawi is a Saudi national accused of acting as a financial and logistical facilitator for the 9/11 hijackers. In 2024, the defendants reached a plea agreement that would have removed the death penalty in exchange for life sentences. That agreement was subsequently revoked by the administration of then-President Joe Biden, leaving the possibility of capital punishment active for the proceedings.

Extensive Charges and 9/11 Casualties

An engineer by training who studied in the United States, Mohamed has claimed responsibility for designing the 2001 attacks “from A to Z,” according to news reports. The 9/11 operation killed nearly 3,000 people when hijacked commercial airliners struck the World Trade Center towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Beyond the 2001 attacks, Mohamed’s confessed record includes the 1993 World Trade Center bombing that killed six people, the 2002 decapitation of American journalist Daniel Pearl, and involvement in approximately 30 other plots, including bombings in Bali, Indonesia.

Frequently Asked Questions

• When is the trial scheduled to begin?

  The trial is scheduled to begin on June 5, 2028, at the U.S. military base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

  

• Why has the trial taken so long?

  According to legal experts and court filings, the proceedings stalled for years over disputes regarding whether evidence gathered after the defendants were tortured in secret CIA facilities is admissible in court.

• Who are the co-defendants in the case?

  The co-defendants are Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al Hawsawi, both also detained at Guantánamo Bay.