A United States jury has ruled that Virginia-based defence contractor CACI must pay $42m to three Iraqi men who were tortured at the Abu Ghraib prison in 2004.But what exactly was it and what happened there? What was the case about? Here’s what you need to know:
What was Abu Ghraib?
Abu Ghraib, a maximum security prison in Abu Ghraib, Iraq, was used by the US to “interrogate suspects” after it invaded Iraq.
Established in the 1950s, it was used by former President Saddam Hussein to hold political prisoners during his presidency from 1979 to 2003.
After the US invaded Iraq in 2003, overthrowing Hussein who was subsequently executed, Abu Ghraib was taken over by the US military.
In September 2006, Abu Ghraib was handed over to the Iraqis and in April 2014, it was closed.
[embedded content]
Was there abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib?
Yes.
In 2003, photos of imprisoned Iraqis suffering abuse at the hands of US prison guards started to surface.
Like one of a hooded prisoner connected to electrical wires and forced to stand on a small box.
He had been told he would be electrocuted if he fell off the box.
The picture was of Ali Shallal al-Qaysi, who testified about it in 2005.
After he was no longer able to use his hand due to the torture, the American guards started calling him “Claw Man”.
Other images show prisoners forced into humiliating positions, sometimes with excrement smeared on them, while US prison guards posed, smiling, beside them.
In this undated photo, an Iraqi detainee at Abu Ghraib is threatened by a US soldier holding a dog [File: Washington Post via Getty Images]
Was anything done about the abusers?
Inquiries were launched in 2004 by now-retired US Major General Antonio Taguba and now-retired US Major General George Fay. Another investigation was l …
