Media reported on the possibility of those accused of the Sept. 11 attacks avoiding execution

Those accused of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States may yet escape the death penalty because of a new court ruling, the New York Post reported Dec. 31.

"Plea bargains for the three terrorists behind the Sept. 11 attacks are back in play after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin lost his attempt to overturn troubling agreements [with investigators] that would have kept them from the death penalty," the report said.

The corresponding decision of the head of the Pentagon, made in August, the day before annulled the military appeals court.

It is noted that this gives the defendants - the organizer of the terrorist attacks Khalid Sheikh Mohammad and his accomplices Walid bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hausawi - the opportunity at a hearing next week to plead guilty in exchange for life imprisonment. In this case, Austin will be able to challenge the court's decision.

Earlier, on July 31, it became known that the Commissioner for convening military commissions Susan Escalier concluded pre-trial deals with three defendants in the case of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York. They agreed to plead guilty. Days later, Austin reversed the decision and retained jurisdiction over the case.

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists took four passenger planes hostage. Two of them were directed by the militants at the World Trade Center towers in New York, the third at the Pentagon building in Washington. The fourth plane was also flying towards the American capital, but crashed near the city of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. As a result of the attacks, in addition to members of the terrorist group killed almost 3 thousand people.