On Tuesday, a federal jury concluded an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay $42 million to three Iraqis who were subjected to torture in the Abu Ghraib prison, where, as is known, cases of abuse and misconduct occurred. According to the jury's decision, a contractor, CACI Premier Technology, was involved in the abuse of three men in the prison in 2003 and 2004.
According to the decision, each of the defendants — Suhayl Shemri, director of a middle school, Asad Zubairi, a farmer, and Salih Adjali, a journalist — was awarded compensation in the amount of $14 million. The trio filed a lawsuit against CACI Premier Technology, a private company based in Arlington, Virginia, as early as 2008.
The Abu Ghraib prison, located west of Baghdad, became a symbol of the American occupation of Iraq after evidence of harsh treatment emerged from the facility. Most cases of abuse occurred at the end of 2003 when contractor employees worked at the prison.
A group of 11 officers of lower rank, including Linda England, a former American reservist, who smiled in photographs with naked detainees, faced criminal charges. The lawsuit against CACI was filed based on a law allowing foreigners to file lawsuits in U.S. courts for violations of human rights beyond the borders of the U.S.
CACI claims that most of the alleged violations were approved by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and were implemented under prison management. In his statement, Adjali noted that this victory is for him and for justice, and it also serves as a warning for companies and contractors involved in torture and poor treatment.
Attorney Kethrin Gallagher from the Center for Constitutional Rights, representing the plaintiffs, welcomed the jury's decision, noting that it reveals CACI's actions in this disgraceful episode of our history. She emphasized that this decision reaffirms that military and private contractors will not be held accountable for violations of fundamental international laws, including the prohibition of torture.
