Washington, Aug 27. (dpa/GNA) – The trial of the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks and other co-defendants is set to begin on June 5, 2028, according to an order from the military judge overseeing the case.
The date could still be pushed back, however, as several procedural issues remain unresolved, including which evidence will be allowed at trial.
The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks involved four passenger jets, that were hijacked and used to target the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon defence headquarters near Washington.
The fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Around 3,000 people were killed. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is believed to be the mastermind behind the attacks, coordinating communication and financing for the operation. He was arrested in Pakistan in 2003, and later interrogated by the CIA.
According to a US Senate report, he was tortured during interrogations. Mohammed was transferred to the US detention facility at Guantánamo Bay in 2006, where he was to face a military tribunal over his role in the attacks.
Proceedings against him and several co-defendants have been delayed for years. The detention facility is located at the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba.
Nearly 800 people were held there at its peak, after it was established under former US president George W Bush, following the September 11 attacks.
Human rights groups have long called for its closure, but a small number of detainees remain there.
GNA