Judge Tosses Out 9/11 Mastermind’s Confession, Citing Coercive Interrogation
TL/DR –
A military judge has dismissed a confession made by the alleged mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, almost two decades ago. The judge found that the confession, given to FBI agents, was not voluntary due to previous mistreatment and absence of Miranda warning during his interrogation by the CIA. This ruling poses challenges to the federal government’s efforts to prosecute Mohammed, who has been detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba with his trial scheduled for June 2028.
A confession from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind behind the Sept. 11 attacks, was dismissed by a military judge, CBS News reports. The confession was deemed non-voluntary, dealing a setback to the federal government’s prosecution attempt.
Mohammed, who is accused of planning the Pentagon and World Trade Center attacks, is detained in Guantanamo Bay with several co-defendants awaiting trial. Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, the presiding judge, set a trial date for June 2028.
In a court order, Schrama excluded Mohammed’s statements delivered during a four-day FBI interrogation in Guantanamo Bay in 2007. Previously, Mohammed was held by the CIA and subjected to waterboarding.
Schrama found that Mohammed feared severe mistreatment if he didn’t comply with his interrogators, due to his CIA handling. He also found that Mohammed was not informed of his Miranda rights and was denied access to a lawyer.
The prosecutor in Mohammed’s case, Rear Adm. Aaron C. Rugh, told The New York Times that the government would decide on an appeal soon.
Retired FBI agent Frank Pellegrino, who interviewed Mohammed in 2007, believes the confession was voluntary. Pellegrino’s views will be aired in an upcoming CBS special, “Daughters of 9/11”.
If found guilty, Mohammed could face the death penalty. However, plea deals reached in 2024 with Mohammed and two other defendants were overruled by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin last year.
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