Military Appeals Court rules Defense Sec Austin cannot rescind 9/11 plea deals

The court opinion, which has not been formally published yet, said the plea deals reached by military prosecutors and defense attorneys were valid and enforceable, and that Austin exceeded his authority when he later tried to nullify them.

The Pentagon has the option of going next to the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court for emergency review, but the court docket did not show any filings as of Tuesday afternoon.

The plea deals have been condemned by a number of 9/11 victims and U.S. politicians. 

The Pentagon revoked the deals in July. "Effective immediately, in the exercise of my authority, I hereby withdraw from the three pretrial agreements that you signed on July 31, 2024," a letter from Austin states. 

This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates. Fox News' Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.