A federal appeals court annulled an agreement permitting Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plead guilty to avoid capital punishment. This decision disrupts efforts to conclude over two decades of military prosecutions faced with legal issues. The plea deal, negotiated for two years, aimed to ensure life sentences for Mohammed and co-defendants. The families of 9/11 victims were divided; some desired a trial for accountability, while others viewed the plea as a path to closure. Former Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin maintained that decisions regarding such significant penalties should be determined by the defense secretary.
A divided US federal appeals court threw out an agreement that would have allowed Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to plead guilty to avoid capital punishment.
The decision undoes an attempt to wrap up more than two decades of military prosecution plagued with legal and logistical problems.
Relatives of the 11 September attacks were split on the plea deal, with some wanting a trial while others sought closure after over 20 years.
Lloyd Austin rejected the deal, stating the death penalty decision for an attack as grave as 9/11 should rest with the defense secretary.
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