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.
Autopsy no: ME 04-100; Hassan Ekab Ahmed, a 61-year-old male Iraqi civilian, was a detainee held at the Detention Central Collection Facility, Tikirit, Iraq. He was discovered deceased in his bed when he failed to report to the morning head ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Hassan Ekab Ahmed
Autopsy no: ME04-38; Detainee Baker Yassen Rashed Mahmed Al Hussen, a 25-year-old male, collapsed while performing morning prayers. Cause of Death: Myocarditis (jnflammation of the heart). Manner of Death: Natural. No evidence of significant ...
Autopsy No: ME04-14; 47 year-old white male detainee died while in US custody. Cause of death: Blunt Force Injuries and Asphyxia; Manner of Death: Homicide. Autopsy revealed deep bruising of the chest wall, numerous displaced rib fractures, ...
Detainee, Nasef Jasem Ibrahim, died while in U.S. custody at Abu Ghraib prison. Mr. Ibraham, died of natural causes (Cardiac Tamponade as a result of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease). Mr. Ibraham was brought unconscious to one of the ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Nasef Ibrahim
Autopsy No.: ME03-571; 56 year-old male detainee died while in U.S. custody. The details surrounding the circumstances at the time of death are classified. Cause of death: Asphyxia due to smothering and chest compression. Manner of Death: ...
Autopsy No.: ME 03-504; Iraqi National male was captured by Navy Seal Team #7 and resisted aprehension. External injuries are consistent with injuries sustained during aprehension. Fractures of the ribs and a contusion of the left lung imply ...
Autopsy No.: ME 03-386; other prisoners brought detainee forward to the prison gate complaining of chest pain. He reportedly participated in a fast that day. Detainee had a history of diabetes. A physician arrived 30 minutes after patient was ...
Autopsy No: ME 03 -385; enemy prisoner of war detainee at Baghdad International Airport prison (BIAP) who was being transported in a bus when he became short of breath, hypotensive and tachycardic. A medic administered an IV bolus, which briefly ...
Autopsy No: ME 03 -368 (EPW 3); male Iraqi enemy prisoner of war. On or about August 13, 2003, decedent was brought to the gate of Abu Ghraib by other detainees and was noted to be pulseless and apneic. Cause of death: Arterioscloerotic ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Dahm Spah
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 ...
Autopy No.: ME03-273; 45 Iraqi male civilian detainee died in U.S. custody 12 hours after a reported escape attempt. Physical force was required to subdue the detainee, and during the restraining process, his forehead hit the ground. Cause ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate) Physical assault
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: 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 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 Number: 03-366-B. Other detainees brought Iraqi male detainee to gate. He had apparently complained of chest pain during his detention and appeared to have been dead for some time. Cause of Death: Arteriosclerotic cardiovascular ...
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: ...
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 ...
A soldier took a bottle that a detainee had urinated in and threatened to force the detainee to drink the urine. The detainee was not assaulted or forced to consume the urine. Punishment for the soldier included psychiatric counseling; clean all ...
A soldier was found to be guilty of inappropriate action towards a Detainee at Camp Bucca by using disparaging words and displaying a "Star of David" necklace and expressing anti-Arab views. The soldier denied the accusations.
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 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 found guilty of using excessive force during interrogation by assaulting detainee with a police riot baton on his feet. Punishment included oral admonition and restriction to set locations (dining hall, duty, company area, ...
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 ...
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) ...
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 the death of a detainee at Camp Patriot; FOB Ironhorse. A detainee was brought to FOB Ironhorse for detention on February 5, 2004. He was complaining about being sick and an Army medic examined him on February 7, ...
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 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 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) ...
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 ...
Specialist Sivits was arraigned at a special court martial in May 2004 for his role in abuses at Abu Ghraib prison on 11/8/03. He pled guilty to the charges of maltreating and conspiracy to maltreat detainees for his role in an incident of abuse ...
Apr. 06, 2005
UCMJ (Court-Martial), Judicial (Transcript) Jeremy C. Sivits
First Lieutenant Glenn A. Niles, Jr. assaulted three (3) detainees at Al Taji Police Station, Baghdad on July 30, 2003. He admitted to striking two (2) detainees in the stomach with a closed fist and kicking the third in the shoulder. A petition ...
In October 2003, Specialist Cruz participated in the abuse of detainees in the Hard Site at Abu Ghraib. Spc. Cruz and others ordered three (3) detainees to strip naked. The detainees were handcuffed together with metal handcuffs "to mess with ...
Court Martial Records of SPC Megan Ambuhl, who did not participate in abuse of detainees, but pled guilty to Dereliction of Duty for not reporting the activities of MP and MI personnel at Abu Ghraib Prison. She was sentenced to forfeiture of 1/2 ...
Art. 32 investigation. Gives an account of an incident of abuse where an Iraqi guard was placed at gunpoint and beaten by US soldiers. Recommends that SSG McKenzie be charged with Cruelty and Maltreatment and Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. It ...
Army Memo from Provost Marshall re: Guidelines for the Interrogation of Prisoners. This memo lays out the prohibition on striking of prisoners by interrogators. Holds Military Police (MP) solely responsible for all actions and deems them ...
Army Detainee Processing Checklist. Lists Packet Requirements, along with "New Guidance from Ironhorse" and instructions to "Think of detainee's packet like it is a court case?"