RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court was scheduled to hear oral arguments Tuesday regarding an appeal from military contractor CACI, which was ordered to pay $42 million for its involvement in the torture and mistreatment of three former detainees at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago.
Reston, Virginia-based CACI filed the appeal following last year’s civil lawsuit verdict to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The three plaintiffs, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, testified that they endured severe abuse, including beatings and sexual abuse, during their detention under the U.S. occupation of Iraq. A jury awarded them $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages.
Although the plaintiffs did not allege that CACI's interrogators directly inflicted the abuse, they claimed that the company was complicit due to collusion with military police who engaged in aggressive tactics to "soften up" detainees for questioning.
CACI supplied the interrogators who operated at Abu Ghraib and has consistently denied any misconduct, asserting that none of its employees have been accused of committing abuse against the plaintiffs.
The infamous images of abuse from 2004, which shocked the world, depicted detainees subjected to humiliating treatment. Military investigations confirmed that certain CACI employees had engaged in inappropriate behavior, yet those individuals have not faced criminal charges.
Last year's civil trial was a significant moment, marking the first occasion in two decades that a U.S. jury heard the claims of Abu Ghraib detainees since the abuse photos caused global outrage. The plaintiffs were not featured in the released images but described experiences similar to those depicted. The $42 million award matches the amount requested by the plaintiffs and exceeds the $31 million CACI had reportedly been paid for providing interrogators.
Reston, Virginia-based CACI filed the appeal following last year’s civil lawsuit verdict to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The three plaintiffs, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, testified that they endured severe abuse, including beatings and sexual abuse, during their detention under the U.S. occupation of Iraq. A jury awarded them $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages.
Although the plaintiffs did not allege that CACI's interrogators directly inflicted the abuse, they claimed that the company was complicit due to collusion with military police who engaged in aggressive tactics to "soften up" detainees for questioning.
CACI supplied the interrogators who operated at Abu Ghraib and has consistently denied any misconduct, asserting that none of its employees have been accused of committing abuse against the plaintiffs.
The infamous images of abuse from 2004, which shocked the world, depicted detainees subjected to humiliating treatment. Military investigations confirmed that certain CACI employees had engaged in inappropriate behavior, yet those individuals have not faced criminal charges.
Last year's civil trial was a significant moment, marking the first occasion in two decades that a U.S. jury heard the claims of Abu Ghraib detainees since the abuse photos caused global outrage. The plaintiffs were not featured in the released images but described experiences similar to those depicted. The $42 million award matches the amount requested by the plaintiffs and exceeds the $31 million CACI had reportedly been paid for providing interrogators.
