The decision undoes an attempt to wrap up more than two decades of military prosecution beset by legal and logistical troubles.

The Justice Department defended Austin’s decision to end the plea deals, filing an unusual appeal with the D.C. Circuit on Jan. 7, seeking to block the military courts from continuing with further proceedings under the plea deals. After President Donald Trump was inaugurated, DOJ continued to press the appeal.

The court found that Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had the authority to invalidate a contract reached between the accused mastermind and a Pentagon official.