Jury finds US defense contractor liable in torture at Abu Ghraib prison

CACI International

12/11/2024 19:12

By Kanishka Singh
       WASHINGTON, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A federal jury on Tuesday
found U.S. defense contractor CACI International  CACI.N  liable
for its role in torture at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad
during the Iraq war and ordered it to pay $42 million in
damages.
    The jury's verdict found the Virginia-based company liable
in the torture of Iraqi men at the prison in 2003-2004 and
ordered it to pay each of the three plaintiffs $14 million in
damages, the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented
the plaintiffs, said in a statement.
    Tuesday's verdict marked the first time a civilian
contractor was held legally responsible for the torture at the
prison.
    The torture of prisoners held by U.S. forces during the Iraq
war at the facility became a scandal during former President
George W. Bush's administration after pictures of the abuse
emerged in 2004. 
    The photos showed U.S. troops smiling, laughing and giving
thumbs up as prisoners were forced into humiliating positions
including a naked human pyramid and simulated sex. Detainees
said they endured physical and sexual abuse, infliction of
electric shocks and mock executions.
    CACI denies its employees engaged in torture and said it
will appeal Tuesday's verdict, calling it disappointing. CACI
employees worked as interrogators at the prison under contract
with the U.S. government. 
    The three Iraqi plaintiffs - Suhail Al Shimari, Salah
Al-Ejaili and As'ad Al-Zuba'e - said CACI interrogators would
direct military personnel to "soften up" detainees before they
were questioned, leading to abuses across the facility.
    The plaintiffs were eventually released without charge.
    A CACI spokesperson said the company 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 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which followed lies that Iraq had
weapons of mass destruction and killed hundreds of thousands,
led to widespread global condemnation.

    
    

 (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie
Adler)
 ((Kanishka.Singh@thomsonreuters.com; +12024508248;))