ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In a landmark decision, a U.S. jury awarded $42 million on Tuesday to three former detainees who suffered abuse two decades ago at Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison. They filed a lawsuit against a Virginia-based military contractor, alleging it was complicit in their torture and abuse.
The plaintiffs, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, each received $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages. The jury found that the contractor, CACI, failed to prevent the mistreatment by its civilian interrogators, who worked alongside the U.S. Army at the prison in 2003 and 2004.
The case drew significant attention as it revisited the shocking abuses that became public following the circulation of infamous photos showing the ill-treatment of detainees by U.S. personnel during the Iraq War. Despite not being pictured in the globally circulated images, the plaintiffs testified to suffering treatment akin to what was depicted, which included severe beatings, sexual abuse, and other inhuman acts.
The legal battle underscored the complex issue of accountability for private contractors in war zones. While CACI maintained that its employees were not directly responsible for the abuse, the plaintiffs argued that the company was nevertheless complicit. They testified that CACI’s interrogators conspired with military police to “soften up” detainees through brutal means to make them more pliable for interrogation.
CACI expressed disappointment in the outcome and signaled intentions to appeal the decision. The company has consistently denied any wrongdoing by its employees and distanced itself from the actions of the military police implicated in the wider scandal.
Baher Azmy, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, hailed the jury’s decision as a crucial step towards justice and accountability. He praised the resilience of the plaintiffs, who endured lengthy and often delayed legal proceedings since the lawsuit’s filing in 2008.
The extensive legal wrangling included a previously indecisive verdict earlier this year, when another jury was unable to conclude on CACI’s liability, leading to this retrial. Questions about whether responsibility lay with the military or the contractor permeated both proceedings.
Amid the legal arguments, reports by retired Army generals presented during the trial suggested that several CACI interrogators partook in abusive practices. One particular interrogator was accused of misleading investigators about his actions and allegedly directing soldiers to engage in abuse.
This retrial, culminating in the substantial damages awarded, marked the first time U.S. jurors directly addressed claims from survivors of Abu Ghraib, more than two decades since the abuse occurred. The plaintiffs, two of whom testified via video from Iraq, shared harrowing details of their treatment in hopes of shedding light on the severity of their experiences.
As the implications of this verdict unfold, the case highlights ongoing debates over the extent of legal accountability for private firms in military operations abroad, emphasizing the need to safeguard human rights even in challenging environments.
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