A federal jury has determined that a defense contractor, which provided interrogators to the U.S. Army at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, is liable for the abuse experienced by three Iraqi men detained there two decades ago. Each man was awarded $3 million in compensation and an additional $11 million in punitive damages.
The jury concluded that the contractor conspired with U.S. soldiers to "inflict torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment" on the detainees.
This verdict was reached during the second trial of the case, following a mistrial earlier this year when the first jury could not reach a decision.
Both trials were overseen by Judge Leonie M. Brinkema in the Eastern District of Virginia. During the first trial, the jury heard testimonies from the plaintiffs—Salah Hasan Al-Ejaili, Suhail Al Shimari, and Asa’ad Al-Zuba’e—marking the first occasion that a civilian jury heard direct accounts of the post-9/11 torture program from detainees.
In previous similar cases, including one against the Titan Corporation and another involving two psychologists contracted by the C.I.A., settlements were reached prior to trial.
The plaintiffs reported experiencing severe mistreatment, including threats against family members, being chained to pipes overnight, and forced nudity. Some military police involved in the abuse were depicted in photographs that contributed to the Abu Ghraib scandal in 2004.
Mr. Al-Ejaili expressed that the verdict represents a significant step toward justice for Abu Ghraib detainees, stating, "This is a big day, even for America."
In court, CACI International, the defense contractor, contended that there was no evidence linking its employees directly to the abuse. However, the jury found CACI liable for supplying interrogators who directed military police to "soften up" the detainees.
This verdict marks a significant milestone in over a decade of litigation involving the three men and CACI International, which is based in Virginia, along with its subsidiary CACI Premier Technology.
The plaintiffs were represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the law firm Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler.
Shereef Akeel, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, remarked, "After 21 years, justice has been served for our clients," emphasizing that the jury recognized their suffering.
J. William Koegel Jr., general counsel for CACI, did not respond immediately to inquiries regarding the verdict or potential plans for an appeal.
The abuses at Abu Ghraib were investigated by multiple entities, including Army generals, the C.I.A. inspector general, Senate committees, and the Red Cross. The lawsuit revealed detailed information about the prison, including internal communications and testimonies from interrogators, soldiers, and victims.
Among the testimony was a 2013 video deposition from Charles A. Graner Jr., identified as a leading figure among the prison guards, who received a 10-year sentence. He characterized the abuse of detainees as systemic, stating, "Written or unwritten, we followed what we were instructed to do."