A military contractor accused of contributing to the abuse of detainees at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison two decades ago is facing a retrial in a federal courtroom after a civil case earlier this year ended with a hung jury. The lawsuit against Reston, Virginia-based CACI began with jury selection and opening statements. Three former detainees at Abu Ghraib sued CACI in 2008, alleging that civilian interrogators at the prison conspired with soldiers to abuse detainees for questioning purposes.
CACI has consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating that its employees had minimal interaction with the plaintiffs and that any liability for mistreatment falls on the government, as the interrogators were under military command. The case went to trial after 15 years of legal proceedings and multiple appeals, marking the first time a U.S. jury heard claims from Abu Ghraib survivors since the scandal broke during the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
