US Jury Finds Military Contractor Liable for Abu Ghraib Prison Abuse

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Above: US Army military policemen pat down suspected insurgents while processing new detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison Oct. 27, 2005 in Baghdad, Iraq. Image copyright: John Moore/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

The Facts

  • Three former detainees of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were on Wednesday awarded a total of $42M in damages after a US jury found a military contractor liable for the abuse and torture they endured.

  • Plaintiffs Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae — a middle school principal, a journalist, and a fruit vendor — were each awarded $3M in compensatory damages and $11M in punitive damages after they testified that they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, and other cruelty at the prison.

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The Spin

Narrative A

This is a landmark win for Iraqi torture survivors who resiliently fought their case for 16 years despite relentless efforts by CACI to absolve itself of its complicity in the crimes. This ruling sends a clear signal that contractors will be held responsible for abuses of human rights.

The Dissenter

Narrative B

CACI has been wrongly affiliated with the reckless actions of US military police. The firm did not take part in the abuse and played no role in facilitating it. This is proven by the fact that no court has ever charged CACI employees with such conduct. This was the wrong decision by the jury and will be appealed.

Associated Press

Metaculus Prediction