The US prosecutors have secured an agreement with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, whom the Pentagon identifies as a principal orchestrator of the 9/11 attacks.
Announced on Wednesday, the deal reportedly allows for a guilty plea from Mohammed, thereby circumventing a death penalty trial.
The arrangement also involves two other defendants, pushing their protracted legal battles towards a conclusion. These cases, mired in lengthy pre-trial proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, are now set to see resolution.
Although specific terms remain undisclosed, the New York Times has reported that Mohammed, along with Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, will plead guilty to conspiracy, accepting life imprisonment over potential death sentences.
The plea bargain, initially proposed last year, has divided the families of the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11 attacks, with some advocating for the death penalty.
The legal wrangling has largely centred on the fairness of trying the defendants after their alleged torture by the CIA post-9/11. The plea deals aim to sidestep these contentious issues.
Mohammed, considered a key lieutenant of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, was captured in Pakistan in March 2003. He claims to have masterminded the 9/11 attacks and has been implicated in other significant plots against the US.
Bin Attash and Hawsawi also face serious allegations related to their roles in the 9/11 attacks and other terrorist activities. Guantanamo Bay, used to detain militants post-9/11, housed 800 prisoners at its peak, a number now significantly reduced as detainees are repatriated.
In related news, the Justice Department has refused a request from Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called “20th hijacker,” to serve his life sentence in France, reiterating his continued detention in US custody.
