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 (6709)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Dec. 19, 2003 | CID | ACLU-RDI 20

On November 14, 2003, a soldier provided a sworn statement saying that while he was deployed to Iraq, he "saw what I think were war crimes.... In my mind, my chain of command did nothing to stop these war crimes, and allowed them to ...

Dec. 30, 2004
Investigative File (CID), Photograph
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Other
Dec. 19, 2003 | CID | ACLU-RDI 563
These emails are between Army CID and Navy NCIS investigators concerning the policy for reporting criminal investigations during contingency operations and specifically hostile fire deaths. The Army CID Investigator provides the Standard ...
Dec. 19, 2003 | DOS | ACLU-RDI 4140
State Department email from JoAnn Dolan to Jonathan B. Schwartz and Samuel M. Witten with a draft attachment and a comment "Attached is a draft IM on the court cases yesterday"
Dec. 30, 2004
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
Jonathan B. Schwartz | Samuel M. Witten
Monica J. Tillery, JoAnn J. Dolan, Jonathan B. Schwartz, Samuel M. Witten, Edward R. Cummings, Joshua L. Dorosin, Waldo W. Brooks , Robert E. Dalton
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 488
Memo outlines standard operating procedure for detention facilities, including treatment of detainees with dignity, proper filing of paperwork, staffing, use of minimum force necessary, feeding schedules, uniforms, medical treatment, special ...
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 489
Outlines standard operating procedure for detention facilities including treatment of detainees with dignity, use of minimum force necessary, prisoner searches, detainee transfer, staffing, patrol, shift changes, cleanliness of facility, meal ...
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 1002
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: ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Abed Hamed Mowhoush
Physical assault
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1788
Describes proper treatment of detainees; Procedures for detainees of intelligence interest and criminal detainees; and the review process for commanders for compliance with protocols.
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1789
Memo to all soldiers and dragoons who are or scheduled to perform detainee operations. The memo reminds the soldiers that they have a duty and professional standards to uphold and maintain. They must treat detainees with dignity and respect; do ...
Dec. 18, 2003 | Judicial | ACLU-RDI 3949
This is the opinion in the Falen Gherebi v. Bush and Rumsfeld case: Index No: 03-55785; D.C. No. CV-03-01267-AHM.
Dec. 30, 2004
Judicial (Opinion)
Stephen Roy Reinhardt
Stephen Roy Reinhardt, George W. Bush, Donald H. Rumsfeld
Dec. 18, 2003 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 5602
This is an Autopsy Report & Death Certificate for Abed Hamed Mowhoush, a 56-year-old Iraqi male. Cause of Death: Asphyxia due to Smothering & Chest Compression; Manner of Death: Homicide.
Jan. 14, 2011
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Abed Hamed Mowhoush
Physical assault