Talib Mohammed, a victim of the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, also seeks compensation from the US

Mohammed, who says he was subjected to various forms of torture by US forces while detained at Abu Ghraib Prison, wants the same compensation awarded to other prisoners to be granted to him as well.

In a US court case, the US military contractor CACI was ordered to pay 42 million dollars in damages to 3 former Iraqi prisoners for its role in the abuse and mistreatment they suffered while detained at Abu Ghraib Prison.

Former Abu Ghraib prisoner Mohammed believes he should also be compensated, just like the aforementioned prisoners who were tortured during the same period.

The 57-year-old Iraqi, Mohammed, states that he has difficulty walking due to the severe trauma he experienced and other illnesses.

Mohammed, who says he was detained without cause on October 31, 2003, while returning home, and taken first to the Habbaniyah Base in Anbar and then to Abu Ghraib Prison five days later, described the difficult days he experienced in prison as follows:

"I was held in prison for 1 year and 4 months for no reason. They (US soldiers) would mockingly ask me why I was arrested. It wasn't just one scandal that happened at Abu Ghraib; there were many. They would set dogs on us, detonate sound bombs, and also commit sexual torture. They would shoot at detainees with live ammunition."

Describing how US soldiers fired live ammunition into the prison ward, Mohammed said, "Two people were killed with live ammunition right before my eyes. They later put those killed into black bags and took them away. When I saw these things, I started to have psychological problems. The marks of the torture I endured are still on my hands and other parts of my body."

The Iraqi, Mohammed, stated that he has also been suffering from a skin condition for nearly 20 years due to psychological issues.

Expressing that no cure has been found for his illness despite receiving psychological treatment, Mohammed noted the following:

"Besides the 3 people who were awarded compensation by the court in the US, there are hundreds of other victims who should receive compensation. Perhaps my suffering was greater than those 3 people, but thank God they were able to get their rights. I want the US to give me compensation too, but I don't have the money to pay a lawyer to file a lawsuit abroad."

Stating that he applied to many places in Iraq to seek his rights after being released from prison but received no results, Mohammed added that his wife left him after his release due to the torture images that leaked to the press.

The Iraqi Abu Ghraib victim, Mohammed, stated that his two children also suffered from severe psychological problems because of the Abu Ghraib scandal, saying, "My wife divorced me shortly after I got out of prison. My sons dropped out of school due to the trauma they experienced and the discrimination they faced, and one of them developed diabetes while the other developed a psychological illness. My daughters also dropped out of school due to neighborhood pressure."

Mohammed, who says he lives in a rented house in Baghdad, noted that landlords have repeatedly asked him to vacate the house due to neighborhood pressure and discrimination once they learned he was an Abu Ghraib prisoner.

Talib Mohammed, who suffers from high blood pressure and heart disease, added that he does not receive any salary from the state.

News Source: AA