Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Win Court Case Against US Contractor

Waseem Shehzad

Jumada' al-Ula' 29, 1446 2024-12-01

News & Analysis

by Waseem Shehzad (News & Analysis, Crescent International Vol. 54, No. 10, Jumada' al-Ula', 1446)

In a ground-breaking verdict, three former Abu Ghraib prisoners won a $42 million judgement against an American defense contractor in a US court. The three former prisoners are: Salah Al-Ejaili, a journalist working for Al Jazeera at the time; Suhail Al Shimari, a middle school principal; and Asa’ad Zuba’e, a fruit vendor.

The plaintiffs sued the private American contractor CACI Premier Technology, hired by the US military, for subjecting them to electrocution, torture, beatings and other degrading abuses at Abu Ghraib. CACI’s operatives were used to “soften” prisoners through torture for interrogation.

The jury awarded the three men a total of $42 million in damages. The case was filed against CACI in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2008 but dragged on for 16 years. The decision comes after a separate federal trial in May 2024 ended in a hung jury.

The defendant used various ruses to wriggle out of the case, including denying direct responsibility since it claimed the prison was run by the US military. The jury rejected these excuses.

The court ordered the contractor to pay each man $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages. None of the men was ever charged with any crime. All three were eventually released from the notorious prison but not before undergoing horrific torture.

Readers will recall that photos of detainees undergoing horrific torture emerged from Abu Ghraib in 2004. Prisoners were stripped naked, dogs set upon them and forced into performing degrading sexual acts. Photographs of hooded prisoners with electrodes attached to their fingers and genitals scandalized people worldwide when the photos were leaked.

American prison handlers came under fire for abuses at the prison outside Baghdad. The photographs and reports of abuse led to several military investigations into Abu Ghraib that documented widespread mistreatment of detainees.

Leaked photos of the abuse showed American guards beating handcuffed Iraqis, sexually abusing them, and setting attack dogs on them. A dozen military personnel were convicted of criminal charges for their involvement in such abuses.

Major General Antonio Taguba’s 2004 investigation uncovered a litany of horrors, including widespread sexual assault, beatings and humiliation of detainees. CACI interrogators played a pivotal role in the abuse, according to the lawsuit.

“Evidence indisputably showed,” said Baher Azmy, legal director for the Constitutional Rights center, “that this private military contractor CACI was central to organizing, ordering, participating and perpetuating the torture and other forms of ill treatment at the hard site of the Abu Ghraib prison.”

The November 12 court verdict marks the first time a private contractor has been found liable for torture at Abu Ghraib. Even so, CACI issued a statement following the verdict denying involvement in any crimes at the infamous prison.

“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,” a spokesperson said.

“The individuals liable for the egregious behavior were court martialed and punished for the crimes that occurred well over a decade ago.”

CACI employees worked at Abu Ghraib as interrogators. The company said it will appeal the verdict. “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,” the company said. The jury rejected these claims.

It must be borne in mind that the US regime has not compensated any victims of torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib so far, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). This is a reflection of the barbarous nature of US regimes that do not consider other people’s lives worthy of respect. What is underway in Gaza and Lebanon with zionist war criminals slaughtering innocent people with US-supplied weapons is clear example of this dismissive attitude.

Abu Ghraib followed in the footsteps of Guantanamo Bay. The torture manuals developed there were brought to Abu Ghraib and implemented in the notorious Iraqi jail as well. While Abu Ghraib has since been dismantled, the torture chambers at Guantanamo Bay holding an estimated 31 inmates is still operational.