More than two decades after the September 11, 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, the men accused of orchestrating them still haven’t faced trial. Military prosecutors now expect proceedings to open on June 5, 2028, at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba — a full 27 years after the hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.
The defendants include Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, described as the mastermind who allegedly pitched the plot to Osama bin Laden and oversaw its execution, along with his nephew Ammar al-Baluchi, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. All four face the death penalty if convicted in the case, which is being handled by special military commissions rather than civilian courts.
The case has dragged on for more than ten years in its preliminary phase, hampered by technical setbacks, allegations that the defense teams’ conversations were secretly monitored, and evidence that remains classified. Before reaching Guantánamo, the men spent years in secret CIA prisons, where they were subjected to interrogation techniques widely regarded as torture, including waterboarding.
Guantánamo once held roughly 780 detainees; today only 15 remain, classified as high-risk or stuck in indefinite legal limbo. The facility continues operating despite past efforts by President Barack Obama to shut it down.
To read the full story from El Tiempo, follow the link to the original article.
Source: Los cuatro acusados por los atentados del 11 de septiembre en Estados Unidos irán a juicio en Guantánamo en 2028 (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: Khmer Rouge Tribunal (ECCC), BY 2.0 (via Openverse).