Abu Ghraib prison, large prison complex in Abū Ghurayb, Baghdad governorate, Iraq. During the presidency of Saddam Hussein (1979–2003), it became notorious for the detention of a massive number of political prisoners and the use of torture. It was reopened by the U.S. military in August 2003 after the invasion of Iraq by U.S. and allied forces earlier that year, and in 2004 it became the subject of international outcry when reports—and photographs—surfaced detailing the abuse, torture, and deaths of its prisoners at the hands of members of the United States Army. Reports on human rights abuses by the U.S.