A U.S. military appeals court has ruled that plea deals related to the man accused of masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and two accomplices can proceed after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had earlier moved to invalidate the agreements.

The U.S. government earlier this year entered into the plea agreements with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 suspects, sparing them the death penalty.

A military appeals court has ruled against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s effort to throw out the plea deals reached for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other defendants in the 9/11 attacks.

FileA plea deal that could let the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks avoid the death penalty was upheld by a U.S. military appeals court.Earlier this year three men held for decades without trial at the Guantanamo Bay detention center reached an agreement with Pentagon prosecutors to plead guilty and possibly avoid the death penalty.