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 (38)

Detainee alleged that while at Abu Ghraib prison several soldiers slapped; punched; choked; struck his head, shoulders, and arms with a retractable metal baton; jumped on him; forced him to lean against a wall in a seated position; forced him to ...
Detainee reported that he was arrested after US forces found a weapon in his home. He was detained at Al Sijood Palace, Iraq, and it was during this detention he states he was hooded; flexicuffed; punched; kicked; yelled at; and threatened. ...
A detainee alleges he was burned with "hot gases" coming from a transport vehicle while he lay on his stomach in the back of the vehicle while being transported. Medical records revealed that the detainee suffered burn injuries which required ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Cramped confinement
This is a statement by a Sergeant interrogator/translator who reported four incidents of potential detainee abuse that he witnessed or were related to him by detainees. The first incident of possible detainee abuse was the rough handling of a ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Forced physical training
The investigative file details a complaint made by a Private First Class (PFC), alleging that his unit members engaged in unlawful behavior. The PFC first alleged that while on patrol his platoon sergeant, a Sergeant First Class, ordered ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Legal Memo, Non-legal Memo, Investigative File
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Other

NCIS interview of a detainee at Guantanamo regarding his activities in Afghanistan. The detainee stated that he traveled throughout Afghanistan doing charity work and teaching the Koran. The detainee stated that he never took up arms while in ...

Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File (NCIS), Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Other

An investigation of detainee abuse that occurred while the detainee was being transported from Al Baghdadi to the Baghdad International Airport and then on to Abu Ghraib prison. The investigation established insufficient evidence to show ...

Sept. 20, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Stress positions

A detainee claims to have been assaulted while in custody at Camp Al Baghdadi. The detainee had his injuries substantiated and the conclusion of the report was that the detainee was abused. The report found that the detainee was handcuffed and ...

Sept. 20, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
General, Stress positions, Dietary manipulation, Physical assault
This document is a translated statement made by a detainee taken in to custody. Detainee describes abuse he received when taken in to custody at the Iraq/Saudi Arabia boarder. He said he was forced to exercise. He also stated to have been put in ...
Sept. 20, 2005
Investigative File (CID), Interview (Statement)
General, Stress positions, Forced physical training, Physical assault
CID Report describes the charges of aggravated assault, cruelty and maltreatment, and conspiracy being investigated. This document is related to ACLU RDI 1538.
Sept. 20, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Walling, General, Stress positions