The move comes after years of legal battles over the case, which remains in pretrial hearings 17 years after charges were first filed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration succeeded Thursday in temporarily blocking accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed from entering a guilty plea in a deal that would spare him the risk of execution for al-Qaida’s Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to block a plea agreement for accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed that would spare him the risk of the death penalty in one of the deadliest attacks ever on the United States.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had sought to withdraw agreements with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others charged in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the Biden administration are attempting to block the deal to pursue capital punishment.

The Justice Department, on behalf of the Pentagon, on Tuesday asked an appeals court to block an effort to enforce plea deals reached with four accused conspirators of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

An appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked a plea deal for three accused 9/11 plotters in a win for the Justice Department and Pentagon, which had requested this week that the court block the agreements ahead of a Friday hearing.