US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday nullified a plea settlement for the accused mastermind of the September 11, 2001, assaults, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, reinstating the loss of life penalty choice for him and two different defendants, as per Related Press.
“In gentle of the importance of the choice, I’ve decided that the authority to decide on accepting the plea agreements is mine,” Austin wrote in an order launched Friday evening, thereby nullifying the agreements.
The choice got here simply days after the army fee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, introduced it had reached plea offers with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his alleged accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. Below the agreements, the three would have acquired life sentences.
The letters despatched to the households of practically 3,000 victims acknowledged that the plea settlement would lead to life sentences for the accused, sparking outrage amongst some family. Many criticised the deal for eliminating the opportunity of full trials and loss of life penalties. Republicans swiftly blamed the Biden administration for the settlement, though the White Home claimed it was unaware of the association.
Mohammed and the opposite defendants anticipated formally coming into their pleas beneath the deal as early as subsequent week. The US army fee, which has been dealing with the instances of 5 defendants concerned within the September 11 assaults, has been slowed down in pre-trial hearings and preliminary courtroom actions since 2008.
“In gentle of the importance of the choice, I’ve decided that the authority to decide on accepting the plea agreements is mine,” Austin wrote in an order launched Friday evening, thereby nullifying the agreements.
The choice got here simply days after the army fee at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, introduced it had reached plea offers with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his alleged accomplices, Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi. Below the agreements, the three would have acquired life sentences.
The letters despatched to the households of practically 3,000 victims acknowledged that the plea settlement would lead to life sentences for the accused, sparking outrage amongst some family. Many criticised the deal for eliminating the opportunity of full trials and loss of life penalties. Republicans swiftly blamed the Biden administration for the settlement, though the White Home claimed it was unaware of the association.
Mohammed and the opposite defendants anticipated formally coming into their pleas beneath the deal as early as subsequent week. The US army fee, which has been dealing with the instances of 5 defendants concerned within the September 11 assaults, has been slowed down in pre-trial hearings and preliminary courtroom actions since 2008.
