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
Apr. 07, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6677
This is a memo detailing the visit of a three-person behavioral interrogation team's visit to Abu Zubaydah's holding compound and "evolving" interrogation room. It includes details of the team's suggestions for cell modifications, including "the ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Light or sound, Environmental manipulation
Apr. 01, 2002 | CIA | ACLU-RDI 6678
This is a memo from the CIA which describes the month-long custody and interrogation of detainee Abu Zubaydah and requests comments from Alec/HQs "on establishing the priority focus of the ongoing interrogations of Abu Zubaydah".
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah, Abd Al-Rahman M. Al-Umari
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound
| ACLU-RDI 6685
This cable discusses the results of CIA Directorate of Operations investigation into the November 2002 death of Gul Rahman, including hourly updates on his condition the day of his death.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Gul Rahman
Environmental manipulation, Temperature, Nudity, Other
May 28, 2003 | ACLU-RDI 6691
This May 28, 2003 email states that going forward Jim Mitchell and Bruce Jessen will be doing much less in the interrogation role and more strategic consulting work, research and program development projects, and more in the psychology role. The ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
Bruce Jessen, James Mitchell
Abu Zubaydah
| ACLU-RDI 6692
This CIA cable states that interrogators may use a confinement box on Abu Zubaydah to move him into a "more forthcoming posture" for one to two hours. The cable also allows the interrogators to use another redacted method as long as there are ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Cramped confinement
May 01, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6693
This May 2002 cable asks that James Mitchell's contract, which is set to expire in May 2002 be extended because his participation has been "invaluable" to the interrogation team, particularly with regards to Abu Zubaydah's interrogation.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
James Mitchell
Abu Zubaydah
Dec. 20, 2016 | ACLU-RDI 6694
This cable describes the interrogation plan for a redacted detainee. The plan describes disorientation with pharmaceuticals and details complications with the detainee's medical conditions that are interfering with the interrogation plan. The ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
EIT, Sleep deprivation, Light or sound, Forced grooming, Other, Environmental manipulation, Other Humiliation
Jan. 17, 2003 | ACLU-RDI 6695
This January 17, 2003 memorandum provides authorization and authority for James Mitchell, Bruce Jessen, and a third interrogator, whose name is redacted, to use the "full range" of enhanced measures, including waterboarding, in addition to their ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
EIT, Waterboarding, Use of water
June 20, 2003 | ACLU-RDI 6696
This June 20, 2003 email describes the role of psychology in the CIA Renditions and Detention Group's HVTI (high value terrorist interrogation) program, specifically the work of Psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen.
Dec. 20, 2016
Email
Bruce Jessen, James Mitchell
June 30, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6701
This cable describes a redacted detainee's behavior on the twelfth day of a three week isolation phase.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Isolation