Jury orders US contractor to pay $42M for torture of Iraqis at Abu Ghraib

A federal jury found US defence contractor CACI International liable for its role in torture at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad during the invasion of Iraq and ordered it to pay $42 million in damages.

The jury's verdict on Tuesday found the Virginia-based company liable in the torture of Iraqi men at the prison in 2003-2004 and ordered it to pay each of the three plaintiffs $14 million in damages, the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented the plaintiffs, said in a statement.

Tuesday's verdict marked the first time a civilian contractor was held legally responsible for the torture at the prison.

The three testified that they were subjected to beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity and other cruel treatment at the prison.

CACI issued a statement expressing its disappointment in the verdict and its intention to appeal.

Gruesome torture

The torture of prisoners held by US forces during the invasion of Iraq at the facility became a scandal during former President George W. Bush's administration after pictures of the abuse emerged in 2004.

The photos showed US troops smiling, laughing and giving thumbs up as prisoners were forced into humiliating positions. Detainees said they endured physical and sexual abuse, infliction of electric shocks and mock executions.

The three Iraqi plaintiffs — Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili and As'ad Al-Zuba'e — said CACI interrogators would direct military personnel to "soften up" detainees before they were questioned, leading to abuses across the facility.

The plaintiffs were eventually released without charge.

The US invasion of Iraq, which followed lies that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and killed hundreds of thousands, led to widespread global condemnation.

Bush later admitted WMDs were never found in Iraq. He was never charged with anything.