US army free-lancer gets fined millions over torture

11/17/2024 6:26:06 AM

(MENAFN) A Virginia jury has held US defense contractor CACI Premier Technology Inc accountable for its involvement in the torture of three Iraqi civilians at Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq War, awarding the victims $42 million in damages. The lawsuit, filed in 2008, accused CACI of conspiring to torture and subject the victims—Suhail Al Shimari, Asaad Zubae, and Salah Al-Ejaili—to cruel and degrading treatment while they were detained at the prison. The company was hired by the US government to provide interrogation services, and was found responsible for the suffering of these men, who, along with others, endured long-term physical and emotional damage.

The jury's decision mandates that CACI pay $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages to each of the three victims. This legal battle follows years of litigation attempts and a previous mistrial in 2023. The abuse at Abu Ghraib, widely exposed in 2004, became a symbol of human rights violations by US forces after the September 11 attacks, with disturbing images of detainees being tortured and humiliated. These violations sparked global outrage, with multiple international organizations condemning the actions. While the Bush administration initially downplayed the incidents, about a dozen military personnel were convicted for their roles.

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