Iraqi Torture Victims to Receive Millions from US Contractor
A jury has determined that CACI Premier Technology is responsible for the torture of Iraqi prisoners during the US war on terror. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A jury in Virginia has determined that CACI Premier Technology is liable for its involvement in the torture of three Iraqi civilians at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison during the US invasion of Iraq two decades ago. The three victims were awarded a combined total of $42 million in damages.
In a significant ruling on Tuesday, CACI Premier Technology Inc was found “liable for conspiring to torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” towards Suhail Al Shimari, a middle school principal; Asaad Zubae, a fruit vendor; and Salah Al-Ejaili, a journalist, according to a press release from the Center of Constitutional Rights, a non-profit advocacy group.
The statement emphasized that the victims were detained in the section of the prison notorious for severe abuse, noting that “along with hundreds of other Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib, they have suffered long-standing physical and emotional effects.”
The lawsuit alleged that CACI was hired by the US government to “provide interrogation services.” CACI was not alone in facing scrutiny; Titan Corporation, which supplied translation services at the prison, was also accused of mistreatment.
As a result of the jury's decision, CACI is required to pay $3 million in compensatory damages to each man, in addition to $11 million in punitive damages.
Initially filed in 2008, the lawsuit went to trial this past April in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, following multiple dismissal attempts by CACI. The proceedings were preceded by a mistrial in May due to the jury's failure to reach a unanimous verdict.
The abuses at Abu Ghraib, which became public in 2004, symbolized significant human rights violations by the US military and CIA in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Graphic media reports depicted the torture and humiliation of detainees, many of whom were held without legal justification.
The disturbing images included US personnel constructing human pyramids from naked detainees and forcing them into simulated sexual acts with one another. Among the most infamous pictures was one showing a female soldier with a leash attached to the neck of a naked prisoner lying on the ground. Other detainees were photographed handcuffed in degrading positions, subjected to attack dogs, or had their bodies smeared with feces according to publicly available evidence.
Numerous international organizations confirmed these human rights abuses, inciting widespread outrage globally. As the mounting evidence became undeniable, the administration of US President George W. Bush conceded that abuses had taken place but characterized them as isolated incidents. Approximately a dozen US military personnel faced convictions in related trials.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
In a significant ruling on Tuesday, CACI Premier Technology Inc was found “liable for conspiring to torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” towards Suhail Al Shimari, a middle school principal; Asaad Zubae, a fruit vendor; and Salah Al-Ejaili, a journalist, according to a press release from the Center of Constitutional Rights, a non-profit advocacy group.
The statement emphasized that the victims were detained in the section of the prison notorious for severe abuse, noting that “along with hundreds of other Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib, they have suffered long-standing physical and emotional effects.”
The lawsuit alleged that CACI was hired by the US government to “provide interrogation services.” CACI was not alone in facing scrutiny; Titan Corporation, which supplied translation services at the prison, was also accused of mistreatment.
As a result of the jury's decision, CACI is required to pay $3 million in compensatory damages to each man, in addition to $11 million in punitive damages.
Initially filed in 2008, the lawsuit went to trial this past April in a federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, following multiple dismissal attempts by CACI. The proceedings were preceded by a mistrial in May due to the jury's failure to reach a unanimous verdict.
The abuses at Abu Ghraib, which became public in 2004, symbolized significant human rights violations by the US military and CIA in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Graphic media reports depicted the torture and humiliation of detainees, many of whom were held without legal justification.
The disturbing images included US personnel constructing human pyramids from naked detainees and forcing them into simulated sexual acts with one another. Among the most infamous pictures was one showing a female soldier with a leash attached to the neck of a naked prisoner lying on the ground. Other detainees were photographed handcuffed in degrading positions, subjected to attack dogs, or had their bodies smeared with feces according to publicly available evidence.
Numerous international organizations confirmed these human rights abuses, inciting widespread outrage globally. As the mounting evidence became undeniable, the administration of US President George W. Bush conceded that abuses had taken place but characterized them as isolated incidents. Approximately a dozen US military personnel faced convictions in related trials.
Allen M Lee contributed to this report for TROIB News
