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The firm contracted by the Pentagon is declared responsible for the torture at the Abu Ghraib prison

2024-11-12 22:43:49, Kosova & Bota CNA

The firm contracted by the Pentagon is declared responsible for the torture at

A jury in a federal court concluded that the firm CACI International, which was contracted by the Pentagon, was responsible for the torture that was carried out at the Abu Ghraib prison, near the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

The torture was carried out on prisoners during the war in Iraq and Tuesday's decision says that the firm CACI must pay 42 million dollars.

The jury's verdict says the Virginia-based firm is responsible for torturing three Iraqi men at Abu Ghraib prison from 2003 to 2004. The verdict says the firm must pay each of the three plaintiffs 14 million dollars, according to an announcement from the Center for Constitutional Rights, which has represented the people making the lawsuit.

Tuesday's ruling marks the first time a non-military firm contracted by the Pentagon has been found responsible for prison torture.

The torture of prisoners by US forces during the Iraq war at that prison was a scandal that occurred during the administration of President George W. Bush, after the release of photographs from inside the prison in 2004.

The photographs showed US soldiers laughing while the prisoners were held in degrading positions.

The prisoners said they were sexually and physically abused and were tortured with electric shocks.

The CACI firm has rejected the accusation that its employees were involved in torture. After the ruling, the CACI firm said it would appeal, calling the decision disappointing. CACI employees worked as prison investigators under contract with the US government.

Three Iraqis, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili and As'ad Al Zuba'e, said CACI interrogators asked military personnel to 'soften' prisoners before they were interrogated, which they said encouraged abuses inside the prison.

In time, the three Iraqis were released from prison without charge.

The spokesperson of the CACI firm said that the firm "has been mistakenly associated, for a long time, with the unfortunate actions of a group of military police at the Abu Ghraib prison from 2003 to 2004"./ VOA