CACI Appeals $42 Million Verdict for Abu Ghraib Abuse Case

Sat Sep 13 2025 10:44:13 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

The U.S. military contractor CACI is appealing a civil judgment ordering them to pay $42 million for their role in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal.

In an ongoing legal battle, CACI, a military contractor, is appealing a federal court ruling that requires them to pay $42 million in damages for contributing to the torture and mistreatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The appeal was heard by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as the company denies wrongdoing, arguing that their employees did not directly inflict abuse despite complicity with military police. Testimonies from former detainees revealed severe violations of human rights during the U.S. occupation. The verdict marked a significant moment in the long-reflected implications of the Abu Ghraib scandal.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court was scheduled to hear oral arguments Tuesday about CACI's appeal against a ruling that requires them to pay $42 million for contributing to the mistreatment of detainees at Iraq's infamous Abu Ghraib prison.

The Arlington, Virginia-based military contractor CACI initiated the appeal against the jury verdict from last year, which found them liable for damages.

Three former detainees, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, had testified during the trial that they experienced severe abuse, including beatings and sexual humiliation, while held at the prison during the U.S. occupation of Iraq. They were awarded $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages.

Although the plaintiffs did not claim that CACI's interrogators directly inflicted the abuse, they alleged that CACI conspired with military police to employ harsh treatments to “soften up” detainees for interrogation. CACI, which provided the interrogators at the prison, has consistently denied any wrongdoing throughout the lengthy 17-year litigation.

Photos released in 2004 depicting the abuse, including naked prisoners stacked in human pyramids and being treated cruelly by soldiers, sparked global outrage.

While military police were convicted in military courts for their actions, no civilian interrogators from CACI faced criminal charges, even after military investigations identified wrongdoing among several CACI interrogators.

The recent civil trial was the first instance in two decades that a U.S. jury evaluated claims from Abu Ghraib detainees since the scandal broke. The plaintiffs' award of $42 million corresponds to the amount they sought and exceeds the $31 million that CACI reportedly received for supplying interrogators to the prison.