Thursday, November 14, 2024 - A U.S. jury on Tuesday awarded $42 million to three former detainees of Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison, holding a Virginia-based military contractor responsible for contributing to their torture and mistreatment two decades ago.
The decision from the eight-person jury came after a
different jury earlier this year couldn’t agree on whether Reston,
Virginia-based CACI should be held liable for the work of its civilian
interrogators who worked alongside the U.S. Army at Abu Ghraib in 2003 and
2004.
The jury awarded plaintiffs Suhail Al Shimari, Salah
Al-Ejaili and Asa’ad Al-Zubae $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11
million each in punitive damages.
The three testified that they were subjected to beatings,
sexual abuse, forced nudity, and other cruel treatment at the prison.
They did not allege that CACI’s interrogators explicitly
inflicted the abuse themselves, but argued CACI was complicit because its
interrogators conspired with military police to “soften up” detainees for
questioning with harsh treatment.
CACI issued a statement expressing its disappointment in the
verdict and its intention to appeal.
“For nearly two decades, CACI has been wrongly subjected to
long-term, negative affiliation with the unfortunate and reckless actions of a
group of military police at Abu Ghraib prison from 2003 through 2004,” the
company said.
“To be clear: no CACI employee has ever been charged —
criminally, civilly, or administratively — in this matter. CACI employees did
not take part in nor were any of our employees responsible for these disturbing
events.”
Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional
Rights, which filed the lawsuit on the plaintiffs’ behalf, called the verdict
“an important measure of Justice and accountability” and praised the three
plaintiffs for their resilience.
The $42 million fully matches the amount sought by the
plaintiffs, Azmy said. It’s also more than the $31 million that the plaintiffs
said CACI was paid to supply interrogators to Abu Ghraib.
“Today is a big day for me and for justice,” said Al-Ejaili,
a journalist, in a written statement. “I’ve waited a long time for this day.
This victory isn’t only for the three plaintiffs in this case against a
corporation. This victory is a shining light for everyone who has been
oppressed and a strong warning to any company or contractor practicing
different forms of torture and abuse.”
Al-Ejaili traveled to the U.S. for both trials to testify in
person. The other two plaintiffs testified by video from Iraq.
The trial and subsequent retrial were the first time a
U.S. jury heard claims brought by Abu Ghraib survivors in the 20 years since
photos of detainee mistreatment accompanied by smiling U.S. soldiers inflicting
the abuse — shocked the world during the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
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