Zoe Mckey, Staff Writer
The U.S. has revoked a plea deal with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks. This agreement, reached after over two years of negotiations, removed the death penalty as an option. The defendants had agreed to plead guilty to all charges, including the murders of nearly 3,000 people, and would have formally entered their pleas soon. This decision aimed to bring finality and justice to a complex and lengthy case, although it has elicited mixed reactions from the victims’ families.
The plea deal would have circumvented a potentially prolonged and complicated death penalty trial, which faced delays due to legal issues surrounding the defendants’ torture and the coronavirus pandemic. Some families of the victims have expressed dissatisfaction with the agreements, seeking more transparency and information, particularly concerning Saudi Arabia’s alleged involvement in the attacks. Despite these concerns, the deal had represented a significant step in concluding the legal proceedings against the 9/11 conspirators.
