(Fox) A federal appeals court has delayed Friday’s scheduled military court hearing where suspected 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-conspirators were expected to plead guilty as part of a deal negotiated with prosecutors.
The pause, though welcomed by the many who opposed the plea deals, prolongs a decades-long crusade for justice by the victims’ families.
The plea deals, which would have three 9/11 terrorists avoid the death penalty and face life in prison, have drawn sharp outcry from the public and even prompted a dispute within the Biden administration to undo them.
On New Year’s Eve, a military appeals court shot down Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to block the deal between military prosecutors and defense lawyers, saying Austin did not have the power to cancel plea agreements.
