Alleged masterminds of the 9/11 attacks may escape death penalty

The suspected mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his fellow defendants may never face the death penalty if plea agreements are reached. This, according to TASS, was reported by the Associated Press (AP) agency, citing letters to the relatives of those killed in the tragedy that came into its possession.

According to the news agency, the US Attorney General's office is discussing pre-trial cooperation agreements with the defendants. If agreements can be reached, “the possibility of the death penalty will be removed.” Letters with this information were sent this week to the families of those killed in the attack. The agency clarifies that relatives of the victims “expressed disappointment  with this decision."

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists belonging to the Al-Qaeda group hijacked four passenger airliners in the United States. They rammed two of them into the towers of the World Trade Center - the tallest buildings in New York at that time, the third one into the Pentagon building in the suburbs of Washington. The fourth plane was also heading towards the US capital, but crashed near the city of Shanksville in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,977 people.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is the alleged mastermind behind the attacks. Currently, he and his accomplices are held in the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba. Their trial was hampered by numerous delays and legal disputes. Hearings will resume on September 18, according to AP.