The plea agreement with the self-proclaimed organizer of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohamed, restores the possibility that they could be sentenced to life imprisonment instead of the death penalty.
Written by UNN with references to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and France24.
Details
According to the military judge's statement, and in accordance with his ruling published on Thursday, the plea agreements with 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants are valid and binding. These agreements are believed to exclude the death penalty.
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Since 2012, Mohamed and his accomplices have been accused of terrorism, hijacking, conspiracy, murder in violation of the laws of war, and attacks on civilians.
The military resolution also names Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, who are considered to be accomplices in the attack that killed nearly 3,000 people.
In exchange for the guilty plea on all charges, the US government agreed to a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
The prosecutor's office has the opportunity to appeal the judge's decision, but it is not yet clear whether they will do so.
At the same time, the ACLU pointed out in its statement that the death penalty is “inconsistent with the fundamental values” of the American democratic system:
“It is inhumane, unjust and unfair,” the document says.
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The plea agreements with Mohammed and two alleged accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, were announced in late July.
The decision moved their long-running cases toward resolution after years of being mired in pre-trial maneuvers while the defendants remained detained at the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba.
Recall
UNN reported that Lloyd Austin withdrew pre-trial agreements with the organizers of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The US Secretary of Defense reserved the authority to enter into new agreements in these cases.