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
Three maps of Iraq showing OPCON (Operational Control), TACON (Tactical Control), Direct Support, and General Support. Titles and all details are blacked out. First map is dated pre-January 2004.
Collection of five (5) sworn statements about abuse in detention facilities in Iraq, attached to ACLU-RDI 2493. None of the statements report witnessing any physical abuse at Abu Ghraib, but all recount claims by detainees of abuse at other ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
George R. Fay
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Sexual, General, Threat, Family/others, Use of phobias, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual
List of legal references for Formica Report. Heavily redacted. Under a section headed "Interrogation," states, "US policy expressly prohibits as a means of or aid to interrogation: Acts of violence or intimidation, including physical or mental ...
This document is part of an AR 15-6 investigative file with a chronology of the progress and steps taken to investigate abuses at the Abu Ghraib detention Facility.
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Investigative File (AR 15-6)
Richard P. Formica
Memo from Major General Fay to Lieutenant General Sanchez stating that during the course of interviews on Abu Ghraib, five (5) detainees "reported possible abuse they believe occurred at other locations." Three (3) witnesses also "stated that ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
George Fay
Ricardo Sanchez
George R. Fay, Ricardo Sanchez
Physical assault, Sexual, General
List of annexes to report by BG Formica.
June 30, 2006
Chart/List
Richard P. Formica

Appointment of Brigadier General Richard P. Formica as an investigating officer to "conduct an informal investigation into allegations of detainee abuse occurring while detainees were under the control of [redacted] and were detained at ...

June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Ricardo Sanchez
Richard P. Formica
Ricardo Sanchez, Richard P. Formica, John P. Abizaid
Court Martial and Record of Trial of Corporal Scott A Burton, of the 81mm Mortar Platoon, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. He was tried at Camp Pendleton, CA. Burton conspired with Corporal Jeffery S. Case to use a fire ...
PowerPoint presentation to Sec. Def. Rumsfeld on detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. States that there is no evidence of non-compliance with Department of Defense orders at either facility save for "some minor infractions." These ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Other
Albert T. Church | Duane D. Thiessen
Donald H. Rumsfeld
Donald H. Rumsfeld, Albert T. Church, Duane D. Thiessen
This memo is a response to an inquiry to an allegation that a particular detainee was abused by U.S. forces while at the Bagram Collection Point (BCP) in Bagram Afghanistan from April 7, 2002 through February 2003. The memo states “All Bagram ...
This DOD memo is a bullet-point memo describing the DOD's operations at Guantanamo. It appears to be both an up-date for interested DOD officials and talking points on the detainee operations. It covers the chronology and rational of the detainee ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Geoffrey D. Miller
This is a Defense Intelligence Agency PowerPoint Presentation on the DIA's interaction with Iraqi detainees. It covers the policies and procedures; Interrogation Handling Safeguards; Debriefing Team Methodology as well as an overview of the ...
This memo is a synopsis of an investigation in to an allegation of abuse of a detainee. The abuse was reported to have occurred at the Bagram Collection Point (BCP) between April 7, 2002 and February 7, 2003. The investigator was not able to ...
This DOD Memo provides a summary on CID investigations of detainee abuse and/or death in Iraq and Afghanistan. It lists forty-one (41) instances of death and abuse and the status of the investigations as well as any information relevant to the ...
This memo is a synopsis of an investigation in to a possible incident of detainee abuse at Guantanamo. The detainee became unruly during an interview and overturned a table and began to kick personnel in the room. The detainee was restrained with ...
Details of an incident that occurred on 07/01/2005. A Yemeni detainee was told he was being moved to a different cell and refused to cooperate. During a Forced Cell Extraction (FCE) the detainee was slightly injured to his lip and forehead. Very ...
June 30, 2006
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Physical assault

This document is a collection of seven (7) sworn statements concerning an incident at the Guantanamo hospital on October 7, 2004 when a detainee, Mash Alawad Alhabiri, attacked an MP and was subdued with a punch that bloodied his lip. Each ...

June 30, 2006
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Mash Alawad Alhabiri
Physical assault
DOD Hospital Record for the October 7, 2004 Incident at Guantanamo Hospital when a detainee attacked an MP who was attempting to loosen the detainees restraints to make the detainee more comfortable. The detainee was subdued with a punch in the ...
June 30, 2006
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Mash Alawad Alhabiri
This memo is a synopsis of the Military Police investigation in to the incident at Guantanamo Hospital where detainee Mash Alawad Alhabiri began to spit and attempt to attack the MPs present and was subdued by an MP with a punch to the mouth, ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Mash Alawad Alhabiri
Physical assault

This document has a collection of nine (9) sworn statements made by agents and others who were present or near by the interview room where detainee Hisham Bin Ali Bin Amor Sliti lunged from his seat and attempted to attack the interpreter ...

June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Statement)
Hisham Bin Ali Bin Amor Sliti
A Military Police soldier punched a detainee in the mouth at Guantanamo hospital to stop the detainee from spitting at the MPs. The incident was reported in sworn statements by the soldiers present as follows: Detainee, Mash Alawad Alhabiri, was ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Mash Alawad Alhabiri
Physical assault
An FBI agent discusses a detainee interview conducted on 08/05/2005 that became violent. The agent details an exchange between the detainee and interrogator(s). The agent states that the detainee initially refused to leave his cell for an ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Hisham Bin Ali Bin Amor Sliti
This is an email from one DOD official to another regarding an incident where a detainee, while being interrogated, lunged out of his chair and attempted to attack the interpreter. The detainee bit the finger of the Special Agent in charge of the ...
June 30, 2006
Email
Hisham Bin Ali Bin Amor Sliti
A FBI agent's statement of incident where he interviewed a detainee at Guantanamo on 08/05/2005. It was this agent who was bitten by the detainee as the detainee attempted to attack the interpreter. The agent states [the detainee] lunged out and ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Hisham Bin Ali Bin Amor Sliti
This memo serves as an update on events and happenings at Guantanamo Detention facility. It is noted that Senator Cornyn (R-TX) visited Guantanamo on Monday to view US detainee detention facilities and conditions. Also it reports that there are ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
John Cornyn
This DOD memo is an update on the of detainees in the Iraqi detention facilities as part of detainee operations. This memo collects news articles and updates the reader on new and information specific to detainee operations. It states that there ...
A detainee who was not interested in being interrogated got in to a verbal spat with an interrogator who, after becoming angry with the detainee, threw a refrigerator and a chair at the detainees, injuring the detainee. There was also some very ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, Other Humiliation
Detainee alleged that he was abused while in custody of US forces at Camp Bucca. The detainee claims he was wrongly arrested, beaten, sexually assaulted and had his money ($160,000US) stolen. Once released, detainee filed a complaint with the ...
June 30, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Sexual, General
This memo focuses on a discussion and reporting in the UK that the British officials do not want their citizens returned to the UK for trial on terrorism charges and are willing to allow them to be tried at Guantanamo. the memo points out what ...
This memo details how a Staff Sergeant took photos of himself standing with his rifle with his left foot propped on the detainee's buttocks, who is lying in the sand with hands bound behind his back and a sack covering his head. Photo was taken ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault, Other Humiliation
This memo concerns the legal investigation and determination by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations following the discovery of photos depicting detainees bound, hooded and apparently abused while in custody. The photos were discovered ...
This email concerns a Video Tele Conferece on interrogation policy to "determine a legal basis of this on how it relates to the Geneva Convention". Heavily redacted.
This memo from General Wooley from the Air Force Special Operations Command is to remind all Air Force personnel that all who come into contact with EPWs or detainees will strictly adhere to standards of behaviour contained in international and ...
June 30, 2004
Non-legal Memo
Micahel W. Wooley
Michael W. Wooley
Instructions on what to do when notified of an Enemy Prisoner of War/defector is captured. When searching the person, "A JAG presence is a good idea; keep a JAG near-by if debriefing a Muslim-radical as they anticipate US torture and will claim ...
Interview of soldier by a Special Agent of the DIA Office of Inspector General. The soldier reported that ineffective interrogation techniques were being used by the Task Force. It is alleged in this interview that suspected detainees were being ...
Report of investigation by the Office of the Inspector General of the Defense Intelligence Agency regarding a matter of detainee abuse that was also investigated by the Army CID (0037-04-CID201-54050). This report concluded that an un-named ...
June 30, 2006
Oversight Report
Physical assault
Army memorandum addressed to the Commander of the Combined/Joint Task Force (CJTF)-I80, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The subject is "Administrative Reprimand" and the document relates to an investigation conducted by the Army CID ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Ricardo Sanchez
Statement of a soldier to Defense Intelligence Agency Inspector General, at Arlington VA, on 06/10/2004 about alleged violations of the Geneva Conventions. Facts of the incident are redacted. Person stated that the "episode did not appear to be ...
June 30, 2006
Investigative File, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault
A soldier was interviewed on 06/09/2004 and a follow-up interview was conducted on 06/10/2004 regarding possible Iraqi detainee abuse while deployed in support of a task force. Heavily redacted.
Email between DOD officials discussing development of an Interrogation Policy and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP).
Letter from one DOD official to another DOD official concerning the discovery of a PowerPoint presentation containing 49 slides of pictures of abuse by US troops in Iraq in the very early phase of the war. Slides include pics of Iraqi men ...
June 30, 2006
Letter
Trent Lott
Letter is a response to questions from Senator Leahy regarding the treatment of detainees in US custody. The letter denies the use of hoods, stripping or stress positions. States that "Lt Gen. Sanchez's 05/13/2004 memo prohibits the use of ...
This is an excerpt of Articles 4 and 5 of the 1949 Geneva Convention.
Discussion of Geneva Convention. Illustrates points where Iraq has violated the Convention.

This DOD Regulation was issued by the U.S. Central Command on February 7, 1995. It discusses the "policies and procedures for determining whether persons who have committed belligerent acts and come into the power of US forces are ...

DOD PowerPoint presentation on Guantanamo. Heavily redacted.
This DOD memo gives information on Geneva Convention provisions and Secretary of Defense press guidance regarding photography and filming of Enemy Prisoners of War.

This standard operating procedure details how the 1st marine Division is to handle detainees. It includes guidance for apprehension of groups such as religious leaders, woman and children who will not be apprehended without General's ...

June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Richard F. Natonski
This memo discusses the Geneva Convention, the protections it affords, proper treatment of the dead and responsibility for violations of the Convention protections.
DOD PowerPoint presentation on Guantanamo's states that the facility is a "Long-term holding facility for detention of enemy combatants" and gives a brief descriptions of detainees and the initiatives being undertaken at the camp to ensure the ...