Abu Ghraib Survivors Take on Military Contractor in Historic Civil Trial

In March, a milestone trial will begin in Alexandria District Court, marking the first time that Abu Ghraib survivors have brought their torture claims before a U.S. jury. The defendant in the civil suit is CACI, a Virginia-based military contractor that provided interrogators to work at the prison in Iraq.

For 16 years, CACI has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that its employees did not inflict any mistreatment on the plaintiffs in the case. However, evidence from government investigations has been presented by the plaintiffs, who seek to hold CACI responsible for creating the conditions that led to their suffering.

Retired Army general Antonio Taguba, who led an investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal, will be a witness at the trial. His investigation concluded that at least one CACI interrogator should be held accountable for instructing military police to impose conditions that amounted to physical abuse. The mistreatment depicted in the photos was horrific and included naked prisoners stacked in pyramids, soldiers giving thumbs up next to corpses, and detainees threatened with dogs.

The plaintiffs describe disturbing experiences such as sexual assaults, beatings, electric shocks, being dragged by ropes, forced to wear women’s underwear and deprived of sleep. CACI has maintained that it is not responsible for arranging conditions at Abu Ghraib but has attempted numerous times to have the case dismissed since 2008. Jurors may also hear testimony from individuals linked to the case with both plaintiffs and CACI expressing concerns about government interference due to national security. While two plaintiffs will testify remotely from Iraq and one from Sweden; the reasons why they were sent there will not be disclosed during trial as ruled by Judge Brinkema. The trial is expected to last two weeks and shed light on what happened at Abu Ghraib prison twenty years ago