After September 11, 2001, U.S. officials authorized the cruel treatment and torture of prisoners held in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo, and the CIA's secret prisons overseas.

This database documents the U.S. government's official experiment with torture. At present, the database contains well over 100,000 pages of government documents obtained primarily through Freedom of Information Act litigation and requests filed by the ACLU, and through litigation of Salim v. Mitchell, a lawsuit brought by the ACLU on behalf of the survivors and the family of a dead victim of the CIA torture program. To learn more about the database, please read the About and Search Help pages. If you're a developer, you can also access this data through our API.

Search Result (69)

Investigation into assault of detainee after an escape attempt and subsequent homicide. Soldiers conspired to provide false statements to investigators. After subduing detainee with excessive force, soldiers continued to assault him by slamming ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Walling, General
Detainee alleged that he was abused while in custody of U.S. forces. The detainee claims he was beaten, sexually assaulted and had his property stolen. Once released, detainee filed a complaint and told his story on Hardball with Chris Matthews. ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Sexual, General, Nudity, Sexual, Other Humiliation
A detainee alleges that when he was captured he was taken to a palace in Ramadi where he was kicked and electrocuted. The detainee was medically checked during this period and no signs of injury or abuse were indicated.
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, General, Use of electricity

Female detainee alleged she was abused while in US custody. The investigation stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove the offenses of aggravated assault and cruelty and maltreatment. Detainee alleges she was forced to stand ...

Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Walling, General, Sleep deprivation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual
Detainee alleges being beaten on the head and passing out. Detainee was punched; beaten with rifles; had water thrown on him; and was laid down in front of a tank and told he would be run over. Members of the unit were interviewed and denied the ...
Investigation established probable cause to believe unidentified persons committed the offense of Cruelty and Maltreatment when they flex-cuffed the detainees in positions for long periods of time causing extended amounts of stress on the joints ...
Detainee alleged being kicked and punched, shocked with a Taser, and threatened at knifepoint at Kheriolla House. Detainee said his face was covered with plaster until he almost suffocated. Medic examined detainee to determine if he was fit to ...
A detainee was taken in to custody on January 10, 2004 and alleged he was abused during his arrest by being kicked in the face while he was restrained, hooded and in a kneeling position. He also states while detained at Camp Biap, Baghdad he was ...
A detainee claims that after he was apprehended, but before being detained at Abu Ghraib prison, he was brought to an unknown facility (presumably the Baghdad International Airport), interrogated and beaten. The report confirmed the detainee was ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID), Photograph
Physical assault, General
Detainee alleged that while at Abu Ghraib prison several soldiers slapped; punched; choked; struck his head, shoulders, and arms with a retractable metal baton; jumped on him; forced him to lean against a wall in a seated position; forced him to ...