Appeals Court Reinstates Torture Case Against Infamous Military Contractor
An appellate court on Friday reinstated a lawsuit against a private military contractor accused of torturing detainees at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, reversing a lower court decision that dismissed the case and rejecting the defendant’s claim that the issue of torture was beyond the court’s jurisdiction.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia ruled against the Arlington-based contractor CACI Premier Technology, Inc., sending the case back to the district court in Alexandria for additional review.
CACI had argued that its conduct was outside the court’s bounds, but the panel disagreed, stating, “It is beyond the power of even the president to declare [torture] lawful…. The determination of specific violations of law is constitutionally committed to the courts, even if that law touches military affairs.”
“[T]he military cannot lawfully exercise its authority by directing a contractor to engage in unlawful activity,” the ruling stated.
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), which brought the case on behalf of four plaintiffs, celebrated Friday’s ruling.
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