A Military Appeals Court Rules in Favor of Detainees at Guantanamo Bay
A military appeals court has ruled that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cannot rescind the plea deals of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammad. The court opinion, which has not been formally published, states that the plea deals reached by military prosecutors and defense attorneys are valid and enforceable, and that Austin exceeded his authority when he later tried to nullify them.
The Pentagon has the option to take the case to the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court for emergency review. However, as of Tuesday afternoon, the court docket did not show any filings.
The plea deals in the long-running case against the terrorists were struck over the summer and approved by the top official of the Gitmo military commission. However, the plea deals have been condemned by a number of 9/11 victims and U.S. politicians.
The Pentagon revoked the deals in July, and a hearing is scheduled next week at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where Mohammad and two other defendants could plead guilty in separate hearings, with the death penalty removed as a possible punishment.