US court upholds 9/11 suspects' pleas, spares them death penalty
What's the story
A United States military appeals court has denied Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's attempt to overturn plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants involved in the September 11 attacks. The ruling allows the trio—Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi—to plead guilty and receive life sentences, thus escaping the death penalty. The plea agreements were reached after two years of government-approved negotiations and publicly revealed last summer.
Authority dispute
Defense Secretary's authority questioned in plea deals
Austin tried to nullify these agreements, arguing their inadequacy considering the severity of the attacks and asserting his power as defense secretary. However, a military judge ruled that Austin didn't have the authority to overturn agreements once they had been approved by Guantanamo court's top official. According to AP, the pretrial arguments have mostly focused on how the men's torture over the first few years of their CIA confinement may have tainted the case's overall evidence.
Case complications
Torture allegations complicate 9/11 suspects' case
Legal experts have indicated that such treatment could affect the admissibility of evidence. Pretrial hearings for these defendants have been underway for over a decade at Guantanamo Bay. Despite this setback, Austin can still appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, possibly delaying proceedings even further. Meanwhile, Ammar al-Baluchi, a fourth defendant in this case has yet to enter into plea negotiations.
Detainee repatriation
Pentagon announces repatriation of Guantanamo detainee
Separately, the Pentagon announced the repatriation of Ridah bin Saleh al-Yazidi to Tunisia. Al-Yazidi had been detained at Guantanamo Bay since 2002 without charges and was approved for transfer over a decade ago. His return leaves 26 detainees at Guantanamo Bay, 14 of whom are eligible for transfer. The military prison has become an indelible stain on the US's history in the wake of the September 11 attacks, with dozens still imprisoned there without the rights guaranteed under US law.