No justice for Iraqis tortured during U.S. occupation
Human Rights Watch (HRW), refers to the case of Taleb al-Majli, a former detainee at Abu Ghraib prison still awaiting justice
NEW YORK – A recent report shows that Iraqis tortured by U.S. forces are still waiting for justice and compensation even after two decades.
The report, published by Human Rights Watch (HRW), refers to the case of Taleb al-Majli, a former detainee at Abu Ghraib prison.
The prison was known for humiliating prisoners, including by creating human pyramids in disturbing photographs.
Majli, who was released without charge after 16 months, continues to struggle with the physical and psychological scars of his imprisonment and resorts to self-harm as a coping mechanism.
“This one year and four months changed my entire being for the worse,” Majli, told the human rights group.
He said he had started biting his hands and wrists as a coping mechanism while he was imprisoned—something he still does to this day.
“It destroyed me and destroyed my family,” al-Majli said of his detention.
“It’s the reason for my son’s health problems and the reasons my daughters dropped out of school. They stole our future from us.”
HRW’s inquiry about al-Majli’s case and request for information about compensation plans for torture victims were not answered by the Pentagon.
Sarah Yager, HRW director in Washington, lamented the lack of a clear path for Iraqis to seek redress or recognition, and emphasized the ongoing trauma of victims and their families.
“Twenty years on, Iraqis who were tortured by U.S. personnel still have no clear path for filing a claim or receiving any kind of redress or recognition from the U.S. government,” she said in a statement.
“U.S. officials have indicated that they prefer to leave torture in the past, but the long-term effects of torture are still a daily reality for many Iraqis and their families.”
“The U.S. should provide compensation, recognition, and official apologies to survivors of abuse and their families.”
Despite a promise by then-U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to “adequately compensate” detainees in 2004, HRW found no evidence of compensation, apologies, or reparations from the United States.
Even attempts to use the U.S. Foreign Claims Act and the U.S. court system have proved futile.
Yager called for a thorough investigation into allegations of torture in counterinsurgency operations and urged U.S. authorities to initiate prosecutions and provide compensation and official apologies to survivors and their families.
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