RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A federal appeals court has reinstated a lawsuit against a military contractor filed by former inmates of Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
The lawsuit, which has now been bounced between courts for eight years, had most recently been tossed out after a judge ruled the allegations could not be litigated in the judicial system. The judge reasoned that the lawsuit would improperly require second-guessing military leaders in a war zone.
On Friday, though, the 4th Circuit appeals court in Richmond ruled unanimously that any unlawful acts committed by contractors could be subject to judicial scrutiny. The court sent the case back to district court in Alexandria for further review.
The inmates say they were tortured during interrogations led by civilian contractors from Arlington-based CACI Premier Technology, Inc.