'9/11 mastermind' Sheikh Mohammed plans to wear military clothes at Guantanamo trial

Washington, June 14 (ANI): Alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is seeking to wear military-style clothing at his upcoming war crimes trial in Guantanamo, according to one of his attorneys.

Mohammed has asked to wear a camouflage field jacket and camouflage turban with traditional Pakistani clothing as he goes on trial with four other men at the U.S. base in Cuba on charges that include murder and terrorism.

He wanted to wear the items at his May 5 arraignment, but prison officials refused to allow it, CBS News reports.

They also rejected some clothing requested by other defendants as inappropriate for the military tribunal.

His defense team is, however, asking the judge to overrule that decision, arguing in newly released court papers that Mohammed is seeking to wear items customarily worn by members of a militia.

They also argue that not allowing him to wear those clothes violates his right to a fair trial.

"He's being prosecuted for violating the laws of war in the context of hostilities," the report quoted Army Capt. Jason D. Wright, a member of Mohammed's Pentagon-appointed defense team, as saying.

"War crimes defendants during the Tokyo and Nuremberg tribunals apparently had a right to wear military-style clothing, and it's unlikely that the U.S. had a problem about Mohammad's particular clothing when he was part of the U.S.-backed mujahadeen in Afghanistan who fought the Soviets," he added. (ANI)