The verdict against Virginia-based CACI Premier Technology, a defense contractor, comes after years of delays and a hung jury in the first case in April. The case was originally filed in 2008.
But on Tuesday, after the start of a second trial in late October, jurors awarded $3 million to each of the three plaintiffs in compensatory damages and $11 million each in punitive damages.
Plaintiff lawyer and co-counsel Muhammad Faridi, a partner at the law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb and Tyler LLP, said the team feels "immense pride in representing our three clients who were the victims of unimaginable brutality at Abu Ghraib."
"The jury’s verdict vindicates the rights of our clients and will provide some measure of justice for the horrific treatment they endured.," Faridi said in a statement to The Hill.
The plaintiffs, Suhail Al Shimari, Salah Al-Ejaili and Asa’ad Al-Zubae, had described physical and mental abuse at the hands of interrogators and guards at Abu Ghraib.
The case at the U.S. District Court in Alexandria was focused on whether CACI civilian contractors employed by the U.S. military as interrogators in the early 2000s were also responsible for the abuse.
Abu Ghraib, which shut down in 2014, was run by the military police when the alleged abuse occurred.
The worst cases are documented between October and December 2003, just months after the U.S. invaded Iraq as part of the global war on terrorism and was hunting down suspects for information about groups like al-Qaeda.
Abu Ghraib was mired in controversy after photos leaked in 2004 of the alleged abuse. Eleven U.S. military officers were later convicted and court-martialed for their role at the prison.
At the first trial in April, Al-Zubae said attack dogs were set on him, and he was deprived of clothing, while guards also threatened him with rape.
Other allegations of abuse included beatings with broom handles and prisoners forced to pile on top of each other naked.
CACI argued there was no evidence that civilian contractors were directly involved in the abuses. They are expected to appeal the verdict.
But attorneys for the plaintiffs painted a picture of civilian interrogators softening up detainees for guards.
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