9/11 Suspect's Confessions Can't Be Used at Trial

Prosecutors have just lost a big part of their case against the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. The New York Times reports that a military judge has ruled that confessions made by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to FBI agents at Guantanamo Bay were not made voluntarily and can't be used at his trial. Prosecutors have five days to decide whether to appeal, a move that could push the already distant trial date of June 5, 2028, even further out. Judge Lt. Col. Michael Schrama ruled that Mohammed's statements were tainted by an "unbroken continuation of the CIA's psychological conditioning and severe coercion," and by FBI agents' failure to clearly spell out his right to remain silent or consult a lawyer.

Mohammed was captured in 2003 and put through what the Times calls "brutal" interrogations overseas before being transferred to Gitmo in 2006. The earlier interrogations were already off limits, and the judge has now put the Gitmo interrogations off limits as well. The decision is the latest setback in a case stuck in pretrial limbo since 2012, and comes as aging survivors and victims' families question whether they'll ever see a verdict. Three alleged co-conspirators are scheduled to stand trial with Mohammed, per Axios.