# @thevigilantheroes on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DMEn8vCxbst
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/66793555-thevigilantheroes-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/5e71bc8929.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-07-14T02:57:28.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vigilant Heroes (@thevigilantheroes) — https://gondola.cc/thevigilantheroes

## Caption

On Friday, a federal appeals court threw out the plea deals for three alleged Sept. 11 conspirators — Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, & Mustafa al-Hawsawi — ruling that the military judge lacked authority to accept the bargains. The ruling further derails U.S. efforts to resolve the long-stalled Guantanamo trial through life sentences in exchange for guilty pleas, which would have spared the defendants the death penalty.
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The court’s 2-1 opinion cited the importance of “political accountability” in deciding whether the men should face execution. The decision could rewind the process beck to the pretrial hearings that began all the way back in 2011...with no clear end in sight.
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Prosecutors had initially pursued plea bargains, citing the difficulty of securing death sentences due to the defendants’ treatment at CIA black sites. Though a military judge found that the accused had begun fulfilling their side of the agreement—by waiving objections and making factual stipulations—the appeals court disagreed, determining that the government still had time to back out.
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The ruling follows a 2024 decision by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to cancel the deals, despite them being brokered over two years of negotiations. This marks the second time politics derailed 9/11 case settlements—there was a similar effort halted in 2017.
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Even if a trial someday moves forward, the government may have already forfeited its ability to seek the death penalty against two of the men due to provisions in the now-cancelled agreements. After decades in custody, the accused now reportedly favor life imprisonment rather than the martyrdom they formerly embraced.
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This is another setback in the high-profile cases that continues to delay justice for the nearly 3,000 9/11 victims & their families.  There’s no info as to where the cases are headed now—but we’ll keep you updated: thevigilantheroes
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#justice #911 #GITMO #lawyer #military #futurewar #appeal #defense #pentagon #law #legal #newyork #guantanamobay #LE #washingtondc

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## Tags

appeal, le, lawyer, defense, guantanamobay, newyork, military, futurewar, pentagon, legal, washingtondc, justice, gitmo, law, 911

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