Politics

Military judge suppresses 2007 confession of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

A military judge ruled that Mohammed's statements to the FBI were involuntary due to prior CIA torture and a lack of Miranda warnings.

Updated Aug 29, 2026 · 05:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

A military judge threw out a 2007 FBI confession from alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, ruling it was not voluntarily given.
The judge found that prior CIA torture instilled fear of mistreatment, and noted Mohammed was denied a lawyer and Miranda warnings during the interrogation.
The ruling deals a significant blow to the federal prosecution as a military trial for Mohammed and three co-defendants remains set for June 2028.
Government prosecutors are evaluating whether to appeal the judge's decision.

Military Judge Lt. Col. Michael Schrama suppressed statements Khalid Sheikh Mohammed made to FBI interrogators over four days in January 2007 at Guantanamo Bay.[CBS News]
The judge ruled the confession was involuntary because prior CIA interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, created fear of further mistreatment if Mohammed failed to comply.[CBS News]
The ruling noted that FBI agents did not provide Mohammed with Miranda warnings regarding his right to remain silent and informed him he could not consult an attorney.[CBS News]
Mohammed and three co-defendants were scheduled earlier in the week to go on trial in June 2028, where Mohammed could face the death penalty if convicted.[CBS News]
Plea agreements reached in 2024 that would have removed the death penalty were invalidated by an appeals court after being overruled by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.[CBS News]

It remains uncertain whether prosecutors will appeal the judge's ruling to suppress the confession statements.[CBS News]