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 (201)

When interrogator left the interrogation room for a few minutes, Special Forces members had entered the room and were blowing smoke on detainee when interrogator returned to the room. Detainee states that others touched his hands with an ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, General, Use of electricity
A soldier in the in-take processinf was told by a detainee that the detainee received rough treatment, being hit and placed in an uncomfortable position while being transported on the plane.
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault
A Military Police soldier states that when he interviewed a detainee the detainee stated that he was assaulted in transit due to his not following movement instructions given to him my the gusrds. The detainees face was noticed to be cut and ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap
Interrogator's sworn statement that a detainee stated he had been beaten and roughly handled, thrown around by guards.
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, General
A detainee screener reported that a detainee who had attempted escape complained of rough treatment. The detainee did not sustain any marks or injuries from the rough treatment.
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General
Translator tells of incident during interrogation states that when they stepped away from the interview booth Special Forces members entered the booth; all crouched around the prisoner; blew cigarette smoke in his face; and threatened him. The ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, General, Threat, Assault/death, Use of electricity
Army soldier/interrogator asks a detainee if he has health problems. Detainee stated that since he was taken in to custody he was abused. He stated he was stuck on his body, beaten, received "extremely poor" treatment and was "rough-handled" by ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, General
A Detainee Screener states that a detainee complained of rough treatment and being hit. The detainee complained of being put in uncomfortable position on plane ride, guards were rough with him and pushed his hands and feet flat during in-processing.
Dec. 21, 2005
Interview (Transcript)
Physical assault, General, Cramped confinement
Statement of an interrogator who noticed cuts and bruises on detainee during an interview. The detainee stated that while he was in a holding pen in Afghanistan he was told to stand with other detainees, but sat due to weak legs. The detainee ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General
This is a statement of an interpreter was states he was told by a detainee that the detainee was hit in the back of the head while hooded and in transit, possibly with the butt of a gun/rifle. The detainee was unable to identify or describe the ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Investigative File, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General