A federal judge on Wednesday scheduled the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants to begin on June 5, 2028. The proceedings will take place at the U.S. Navy Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, according to an order issued by Lt. Col. Michael Schrama.
The case originated in 2012 when Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, and Mustafa al-Hawsawi were arraigned. They are accused of involvement in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania, which resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths. Lt. Col. Schrama is the fifth judge to preside over the case since its inception.
Prosecutors had requested that the trial begin in January 2027. However, Schrama ruled that the proposed timeline was "incompatible" with the conduct of the trial. He characterized the June 2028 date as a more "realistic" timeframe for the start of assembly, challenges, and the empanelment of members.
For those involved in the case, the concrete change is the establishment of a fixed legal calendar after years of procedural movement. Legal representatives and court staff will notice the transition into the formal trial phase beginning in June 2028, with empanelment followed by opening statements 30 days later. This timeframe establishes a definitive schedule for a case that has spanned 16 years of legal proceedings since the 2012 arraignment.
The decision sets a precedent for the timeline required to manage complex military commissions involving capital charges and national security information. The extension suggests that previous attempts to reach plea agreements or earlier trial dates were insufficient to meet the procedural requirements of the court. Following the start of empanelment on June 5, 2028, the court will proceed with opening statements in July 2028, though specific deadlines for subsequent testimony or a verdict have not yet been reported.