A U.S. federal jury has awarded $42 million in damages to three Iraqi men who were tortured at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The ruling, issued on Tuesday, holds CACI Premier Technology, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense, accountable for the abuse these individuals suffered during 2003 and 2004.
The jury determined that each of the plaintiffs—Suhail Al-Shimari, a middle school principal; Asaad Al-Zubaie, a farmer; and Salah Al-Ajeeli, a journalist—would receive $14 million in compensation.
The men initially filed their lawsuit in 2008, citing the U.S. Alien Tort Statute, which permits non-U.S. citizens to bring claims in American courts for human rights violations occurring abroad.
Abu Ghraib, located west of Baghdad, became a notorious symbol of the abuses tied to the U.S. occupation in Iraq, as reports surfaced about widespread torture and degrading treatment of detainees. Allegations implicated CACI employees, who were said to have encouraged U.S. soldiers to mistreat prisoners during interrogations.
Criminal charges were previously brought against 11 low-ranking soldiers for abuses at Abu Ghraib, including Reservist Lynndie England, who appeared in photos smiling next to naked detainees.
CACI, however, has contested the allegations, asserting that many of the practices in question were approved by then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and incorporated by military leaders into the rules of engagement at the prison.
