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)

This is a letter from CIA Assistant Inspector General for Investigations (name redacted) to Assistant U.S. Attorney James Candelmo, Eastern District of North Carolina, dated November 4, 2004. The letter is a response to AUSA Candelmo's request ...
Mar. 11, 2011
Letter
David Anthony Passaro, James A. Candelmo
The document is an internal FBI email, regarding the FBI's most current interrogation policy for detainees

An investigation into allegations that U.S. forces had kicked a detainee in the legs and back while he was blindfolded and handcuffed so tightly that he received permanent nerve damage in his wrist. Investigation concluded that the allegations ...

Jan. 31, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Jacqueline J. Scott
Physical assault, General, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Army Provost Marshal Compliance Inspection Report: Brigade Central Collection Point (BCCP) Compliance Inspection November 2003.

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
Sworn statement from a US Army Lieutenant Colonel regarding the interrogation policy distributed for use in Septermber-october 2003. He explains why an outdated policy (from 14 September 2003) was provided rather than the most recent policy (from ...
The document is an internal FBI memorandum sent from the General Counsel to all divisions, regarding an appropriate course of action in response to requests received from military criminal investigative services to interview FBI personnel ...
Legal Memo
FBI General Counsel
The document is an affidavit of a New York Office FBI Special Agent, regarding his role in the interrogations of a redacted detainee. He asserts that he did not witness any abuse or mistreatment of the detainee.
The document is an affidavit of a New York Office FBI Special Agent, regarding his role in the interrogations of a redacted detainee. He asserts that he did not witness any abuse or mistreatment of the detainee.
Investigation based on civilian contractor's allegation that he witnessed U.S. Marines abusing Iraqi detainees. In a sworn statement the contractor says he saw Marines place bags over an Iraqi prisoners' heads and strike him in the head with a ...
Nov. 30, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Attention grasp, General, Threat, Assault/death, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling