**U.S. Jury Awards $42 Million to Former Abu Ghraib Detainees**

ALEXANDRIA, Va. - In a landmark decision, a U.S. jury has awarded $42 million to three former detainees of Iraq's notorious Abu Ghraib prison, holding a Virginia-based military contractor accountable for their torture and mistreatment two decades ago. The verdict, reached on Tuesday, places the responsibility on Reston, Virginia-based CACI International Inc., whose civilian interrogators worked alongside the U.S. Army at the prison in 2003 and 2004.

The eight-person jury awarded $3 million each in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages to plaintiffs Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili, and Asa'ad Al-Zubae. The former detainees testified that they endured beatings, sexual abuse, forced nudity, and other forms of cruel treatment while at Abu Ghraib. Although they did not accuse CACI's interrogators of directly inflicting the abuse, they argued that CACI was complicit due to its personnel conspiring with military police to "soften up" detainees for questioning through harsh treatment.

In response to the verdict, CACI expressed its disappointment and announced plans to appeal. The company asserted that no CACI employee has ever been charged in this matter and that its employees did not participate in or bear responsibility for the events at Abu Ghraib. "For nearly two decades, CACI has been wrongly subjected to long-term, negative affiliation with the unfortunate and reckless actions of a group of military police," the company stated.

Baher Azmy, a lawyer for the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represented the plaintiffs, hailed the verdict as a significant step towards justice and accountability. He commended the three plaintiffs for their resilience and noted that the awarded amount fully matched the plaintiffs' request, exceeding the $31 million CACI was paid for supplying interrogators to Abu Ghraib.

The trial marked the first time a U.S. jury heard claims from Abu Ghraib survivors since the shocking photos of detainee mistreatment surfaced globally during the U.S. occupation of Iraq. None of the three plaintiffs appeared in the notorious photos, but they described experiences consistent with the documented abuses. Al Shimari recounted sexual assaults, beatings, electric shocks, and being dragged around by a rope tied to his neck. Al-Ejaili testified about stress positions causing him to vomit black liquid, sleep deprivation, being forced to wear women's underwear, and dog threats.

CACI's defense argued that any liability for detainee mistreatment lay with the U.S. Army, not the contractor. CACI contended that its employees had minimal interaction with the plaintiffs and suggested inconsistencies in the plaintiffs' stories. Despite the jury's initial struggle over whether to hold CACI or the Army accountable, the final decision favored the plaintiffs.

The case, fraught with 15 years of legal battles and multiple attempts by CACI to dismiss it, reached a turning point with reports from two retired Army generals. These reports documented the abuse and concluded that multiple CACI interrogators were complicit. One interrogator, Steven Stefanowicz, was cited for lying to investigators and likely instructing soldiers to mistreat detainees. Stefanowicz denied the allegations in his recorded testimony.

Despite the defense's claims and a contrasting report praising contractors like CACI for their compliance, the jury ultimately held the company responsible, marking a significant victory for the former detainees and a potent warning to other contractors involved in such atrocities.