(Photo: Geopolitical News / EO).
by Giuseppe Gagliano –
A US jury has awarded $42 million to three former inmates of Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison, finding CACI, a Virginia-based military contractor, responsible for involvement in torture inflicted between 2003 and 2004. After years of legal battles and an initial failure to reach a unanimous verdict, the trial saw an eight-person jury rule that plaintiffs Suhail al-Shimari, Salah al-Ejaili and Asa’ad al-Zubae had been victims of serious human rights abuses by CACI civilian interrogators operating in collaboration with the U.S. military. The three men said they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse and forced humiliation, violence for which the jury awarded compensation of 3 million dollars each in compensatory damages and 11 million in punitive damages, reaching the overall figure of 42 millions.
Abu Ghraib became infamous in 2004 when shocking images emerged of hooded, naked detainees forced into degrading positions, often under the smiling gaze of US soldiers. These revelations shocked global public opinion, offering a disturbing insight into the “war on terror” launched by the United States after September 11, 2001. The occupation of Iraq and the management of prisons such as Abu Ghraib were justified by the Bush administration as part of the counterterrorism strategy outlined in the Patriot Act of 2001, a law that greatly expanded the powers of intelligence agencies and military forces, authorizing the detention without trial of terrorist suspects. However, the increasing outsourcing of operations to companies like CACI has raised thorny questions about the legal liability of these private contractors, who for years have enjoyed immunity under federal contracts.
While some soldiers involved in the abuses were prosecuted in the early 2000s, the contracting companies managed to escape responsibility. This verdict therefore represents a turning point for the survivors of Abu Ghraib and for the principle of justice against the impunity of private companies. Despite CACI’s attempts to dismiss the charges by claiming it was not directly responsible for the actions of its employees, the judgment reaffirmed that the legal system can serve as a tool for justice for those who have suffered abuse in the name of national security. CACI, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is a giant in technology services and national security, recognized among the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune magazine for the seventh consecutive year. The company, which has extended its activities to the Italian market through CACI Life dac and CACI Non-Life dac in collaboration with Crédit Agricole Italia, offers a range of insurance products ranging from life protection to credit.
This verdict against CACI, the first in which a US jury heard the direct testimonies of Abu Ghraib survivors, twenty years after the images that shocked the world, is a call for transparency and responsibility. It reaffirms that accountability cannot be circumvented through private procurement or legal shields: two decades later, justice has finally been achieved for those who suffered under the guise of national security.
Previous articleTunisia. There is a humanitarian migrant crisis in SfaxNext articleYemen: Saudi coalition commander meets UN envoy
