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.
Sworn statement of a Soldier who treated a Captain for a hand injury he obtained when hitting a detainee. The statement does not provide details of the origin of the injury, however ACLU RDI 1158 is the sister statement from the other medic at ...
Sworn statement of a Medic testifies that treated a Captain's hand injury that appears to have been caused by punching someone or something. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the captain kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. This document relates to an AR ...
This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. Sworn statement of a Lieutenant who worked with the Captain involved in detainee abuse. Although the Lieutenant did not ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier states he saw the Captain threatening detainees with a gun and treating them in a disrespectful way. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement) Threat, Assault/death
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the captain kicking a detainee. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the captain yelling and kicking a detainee. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the captain threatening a detainee with a baseball bat. Statement is incomplete. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking and threatening detainees with a gun and treating them in a disrespectful way. Soldier witnessed the captain ...
Sworn statement of the Sargent involved in a detainee abuse matter. The Sargent was an aid-de-camp to the Captain who is accused of kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The Sargent's statement is thin ...
This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. It is an executed rights warning completed by a soldier being interviewed on a matter of alleged detainee abuse. This ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The soldier also states the ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi ...
Sworn statement of a Soldier who was being questioned in relation to an allegation of detainee abuse. This statement is missing the first page of the statement. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at ...
Description of allegations of two occasions in which soldiers used "mock executions" as scare tactics when dealing with Iraqi detainees. On the first occasion, an Iraqi boy was threatened with a loaded weapon, which was discharged immediately to ...
Memo for the Record concerning an AR 15-6 investigation findings of investigation in to alleged detainee abuse and mock executions by U.S. forces. The investigator cannot determine if the mock executions were actually conducted or just perceived ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Lieutenant abused a detainee and threatened them with mock executions. Sworn statements for investigation. Soldiers state that they were informed they could fire warning shots ...
Instructions for Article 15 counseling for soldiers. A soldier reported that once stateside they saw several photos of Iraqi prisoners, and specifically Iraqi women, in custody and possibly in a state of undress. The matter was reported, ...
E-mail discusses the compilation of a list of all detainees at Camp Bucca separated by offense. There are twenty-three (23) pages of detainee names sequentially listed by prisoner number, but all names redacted. ACLU RDI 1217 contains the ...
Coalition Provisional Authority Ministry of Justice list of Iraqi Prisoners being released. All names redacted. The email mentions that eighty-four (84) prisoners at Camp Bucca were authorized for release. It also mentions the Rusafa Facility. ...
Coalition Provisional Authority Ministry of Justice list of Iraqi Prisoners being released. The release policy is clarified in this email. Camp Bucca, Camp Cropper and Abu Ghraib prison are all mentioned. All names redacted. The email also ...
Discussion of the President's classification of six detainees as enemy combatants. Discusses the government's treatment of individuals classified as enemy combatants and how they will be tried, if tried.
This document contains the medical records from numerous detainees during the Summer and Fall of 2003. The records are not separated to distinguish from one patient to another. However, the records cover the medical treatment of numerous Iraqi ...
AR 15-6 report on the proceeding against a soldier (name redacted) who was accused of contributing to the death of an Iraqi detainee. The matter was transferred to Ft. Hood from Iraq.
On August 13, 2003 an Iraqi detainee (age 56) died at Camp Warhorse; cause of death: cardiopulmonary arrest. The detainee complained of being hot and was given water to drink. On 8/13/03, he was found lying on the concrete outside his cell, told ...
Army AR 15-6 investigation in to missing property belonging to Iraqis working as translators. The facts are that several translators working at the Division of Civil Military Operations Center were detained in a raid. They were held for seven (7) ...
Army inquiry in to the death of a 44 year old Iraqi who was detained on August 7, 2003. On August 15, 2003 the detainee was treated for dehydration and nausea. He was pale and weak and unable to keep food down. The detainee's brother said he ...
Army AR 15-6 Investigation in to the shooting of an un-armed Iraqi civilian at the Baqubah Airfield in Iraq. The Inquiry found that the soldier involved acted through "simple negligence" when handling a loaded pistol that accidently discharged ...
Army AR 15-6 Investigation in to the abuse of a detainee during interrogation. The investigation found that the soldiers from the 104th Intelligence Battalion “used an MP baton to hit a detainee’s feet and buttocks during the course of an ...
Army AR 15-6 investigation into "soldier misconduct" involving soldiers placing a detainee between the hood and brush guard of a Humvee and driving him around. Allegations also included: Maltreatment of detainees; theft of private property; and ...
Army AR 15-6 Investigation in to abuse allegations by a soldiers upon an Iraqi detainees in US custody. Three (3) soldiers at FOB entered the detainee holding area and "proceeded to enter the holding cell and physically assault the four (4) ...
Following a roadside incident two (2) Iraqi civilians were awaiting soldier's investigation in to the matter, with their hands up and without any weapons. Several of these soldiers [proceeded to] punch, kick, butt stroke, and shout at the ...
A soldier was convicted for threatening a detainee with a loaded weapon. Punishment includes: 180 day suspension, $250/month forfeiture for two months. The inquiry found that the soldier threatened and fired their weapon in an effort to scare ...
A soldier was convicted for striking a detainee and threatening the same detainee with a loaded weapon. In addition, the soldier was found to have attempted to impede an investigation by influencing sworn statements. He tried to prevent a ...
A Staff Sargent near Tikrit, Iraq, on September 11, 2003, shot an Iraqi detainee. The shooting was described as "willfully and unlawful". The detainee was shot in the abdomen with a rifle. The SSGT admitted to the act and pleaded for leniency.
Requests "general, honorable" discharge in lieu of court martial for SSG [Redacted] for the following crimes: pointing a weapon at Taza police prisoner's head (mouth), striking a detainee, tripping a detainee, striking a detainee in the face and ...
This Charge Sheet describes charges brought against Soldiers who staged a mock execution on an Iraqi boy (13-17 years old) by driving him to a field and firing live rounds near his head. They claim it was done to scare him off from looting. The ...
Autopsy Number: 03-366-B. According to reports, other detainees brought this Iraqi male detainee to the gate. He had apparently complained of chest pain during his detention. He appeared to have been dead for some time. Cause of Death: ...
Autopsy Number: 03-369. Emad Kazam Taleb was a prisoner at Abu Ghraib prison. On or about August 20, 2003 he was noted to be pulseless and apneic. Autopsy found an enlarged heart and significant narrowing of one of the arteries supplying blood ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Taleb Ehad Kazen
Deceased is a 27-28 year old Pashtun male who was found unresponsive, restrained in his cell at Bagrahm Collection Point on 12/4/02. Cause of death: Pulmonary embolism due to blunt force objects. Manner of Death: Homicide. The autopsy ...
Autopsy No: A02-95. 35-year-old Afghan male civilian detainee was found unresponsive and retained in his cell and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the 339th CSH, Bagram Air Field. Cause of Death: Blunt force injuries to lower extremities ...
Autopsy No: A03-51. Civilian detainee, 52 year old Iraqi male, found unresponsive outside in isolation at Whitehorse detainment facilitiy. Cause of Death: Strangulation. Manner of Death: Homicide.
Autopsy No: A03-144; Afghan civilian was found unresponsive while under guard by the Afghanistan Militia Forces at FOB Gereshk, Afghanistan. Cause of Death: Multiple blunt force injuries complicated by Rhabdomyolysis; Manner of Death: Homicide. ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Physical assault
Autopsy No: AFME 03-349B. Male Iraqi detainee arrested under the suspicion of possession of a pipe bomb on 7/10/03. He was brought to the detention center at Baghdad International Airport Compound on 7/11/03. Detainee had a history of pulmonary ...
Autopsy No.: ME 03-367 (EPW#2); enemy prisoner of war in US custody. On or about 8/22/03, detainee was noted to be lying on the ground with shallow respiration and decreased sweating. Emergency medical services were summoned and he was noted to ...