9/11 suspects may avoid death penalty after Court reverses Austin
2 Min Read
Defense attorneys argued that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin exceeded his authority by attempting to nullify agreements that had already been authorized.
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In this April 17, 2019, photo, reviewed by US military officials, the control tower is seen through the razor wire inside the Camp VI detention facility in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba. (AP)
Three individuals accused of involvement in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks may escape the death penalty following a military court decision overturning Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's move to cancel their plea agreements, media reported Tuesday.
The military appeals court ruled Monday that Austin's order to void the plea deals with Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi was invalid, according to the New York Post.
The agreements, which were previously approved by officials in the Guantanamo Bay military commissions, would have allowed the suspects to plead guilty in exchange for life sentences rather than facing capital punishment.
Defense attorneys argued that Austin exceeded his authority by attempting to nullify agreements that had already been authorized. They further claimed that his intervention improperly influenced the judicial process.
End to decades of delays?
The court's decision could pave the way for the three men, including Mohammad, alleged to be the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, to enter guilty pleas at a hearing next week.
This would mark a significant step in concluding legal proceedings that have been stalled since the suspects were charged in 2008.
Key evidence against the defendants has been controversial, as it was obtained through coercive interrogation methods at Guantanamo Bay, complicating efforts to bring the case to trial.
Read more: US post 9/11 wars caused 4.5 million deaths: Study
On September 11, 2001, terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing two into the World Trade Center in New York and another into the Pentagon in Washington, DC.
The fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers.
The attacks claimed 2,977 lives and remain one of the most devastating terrorist acts in US history.
