US military contractor must pay $42 million to 3 Iraqis tortured in Abu Ghraib prison

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La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, November 13, 2024, p. 25

Washington. A federal jury has ordered a U.S. military contractor to pay $42 million in damages to three Iraqis who were tortured at Abu Ghraib prison, their lawyers said.

The private company CACI Premier Technology, based in Arlington, Virginia, was found responsible for its role in the torture inflicted on men at the prison near Baghdad in 2003 and 2004, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights (CDC) which represented the victims.

All three testified that they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity and other cruel treatment in prison. CACI employees were accused of having lively American soldiers to mistreat prisoners in order to prepare them for interrogations according to the lawsuit.

CACI International must compensate each of them with 14 million dollars in damages. Those affected, who were arrested after the US invasion of Iraq, are Suhail Shimari, a secondary school principal, Asa’ad Zuba’e, a fruit seller, and Salah Al Ejaili, a journalist.

Today is a great day for me and for justiceAl Ejaili stated in a statement. This victory is a shining light for all who have been oppressed and a strong warning for any company or contractor that practices different forms of torture and abuse.said the journalist, who today lives in Sweden.

The Abu Ghraib prison became a symbol of inhumanity after the US occupation of Iraq, after evidence emerged of this degrading treatment of detainees.

Our clients have fought bravely for 16 years to obtain redress for the horrors they suffered at Abu Ghraib, against all the obstacles this massive private military contractor put in their path.concluded the CDC’s director lawyer, Baher Azmy.