A civilian interrogator who worked at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq 20 years ago denied abusing detainees and claimed he was actually promoted for doing a good job. Steven Stefanowicz, who worked for military contractor CACI, has been a controversial figure in the abuse scandal that emerged from the shocking photos of U.S. soldiers mistreating detainees at Abu Ghraib. While many soldiers were convicted, no civilian contractors, including Stefanowicz, have been charged with a crime. Stefanowicz testified in front of a federal jury in Alexandria as CACI defends itself against a civil suit brought by three Abu Ghraib survivors who allege that the company’s interrogators share responsibility for the abuse they endured.
Jurors heard testimony from two retired Army generals who investigated the Abu Ghraib scandal and concluded that Stefanowicz had a role in the mistreatment of detainees. They accused him of directing military police to abuse inmates for interrogation purposes and of using other forms of mistreatment. The reports also stated that Stefanowicz lied to Army investigators in 2004 during their investigations. While Stefanowicz admitted to implementing a “sleep management plan” for a detainee, he claimed it was approved by Army officers overseeing his work. He denied seeking to abuse or humiliate detainees, stating that his duties were focused on gathering information to counter the war on terror.
Despite the allegations against him, Stefanowicz was promoted by CACI to become the site lead at Abu Ghraib in 2004. Emails introduced as evidence showed that he received a significant pay raise and promotion three months after the Army began investigating detainee abuse and two months after he was questioned by a general. CACI initially had doubts about Stefanowicz’s ability to work as an interrogator, noting that he lacked training in the field. However, due to a shortage of qualified interrogators, the company decided to promote him quickly. CACI presented evidence in its defense, but the U.S. government invoked the state secrets privilege to prevent certain information from being introduced in court.
U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema expressed frustration with the government’s use of the state secrets privilege throughout the trial, stating that it made the government look foolish. Witnesses who served as interrogators at Abu Ghraib were allowed to testify anonymously, with distorted voices, to protect their identities. CACI sought to show that any abuse suffered by the plaintiffs came from other personnel, not their interrogators. The complexity of the case lies in determining accountability for the abuse that occurred at Abu Ghraib, involving a mix of military personnel and civilian contractors. The trial sheds light on the challenges of holding individuals and companies accountable for their actions in a war zone.
