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 (35)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Nov. 11, 2003 | ACLU-RDI 2438
Memo states that during a recent "welfare visit" a British citizen at Guantanamo informed UK officials that he was "hooded and physically abused" prior to transfer to Guantanamo. In response, the memo states that Paul Butler, the Deputy ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Timothy J. Keating
Timothy J. Keating
Physical assault, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
June 04, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2525
Memo regarding interviews conducted at the DCCP (Displaced Civilian Collection Point) on May 31, 2004. Detainee claims that "while at an unknown location he received no food or water and could not sleep due to very loud American music blaring the ...
June 30, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Cramped confinement, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound
Sept. 04, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2078
This document is a letter from the defense counsel of an accused soldier for an adjournment in the proceedings for the soldier to be assigned new defense counsel and to allow that new counsel to prepare for trial in the matter. The facts of the ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Letter, UCMJ (Article 32)
Sexual, Assault/death, Family/others, Hooding/Goggling, Physical assault, Threat, Environmental manipulation
May 03, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1533
Memo from General Miller re: Allegations of inhumane treatment of detainees. General Miller directs the interrogators at Guantanamo to cease the use of the "Fear-Up Harsh" interrogation; only DOD personnel may approve interrogation plans; ...
July 22, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Geoffrey D. Miller
General, Assault/death, Light or sound, Sexual, Forced physical training, Physical assault, Threat, Environmental manipulation, Other Humiliation
Apr. 05, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1343
This report by a DAIG Team interviewed 24 individuals and conducted 4 sensing sessions consisting of 23 Soldiers. All Soldiers interviewed and sensed were given surveys to assess factors associated with combat stress. The inspection took place ...
July 15, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, General, Threat, Assault/death, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Other
July 27, 2002 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3389
Interview of a detainee at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. The detainee stated he was at the Kandahar airport for 2-3 months before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay. Stated he was treated harshly by the U.S. in Peshawar and Kandahar. Said he was ...
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Aug. 23, 2002 | FBI | ACLU-RDI 3393
Interview of a detainee at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. The detainee stated he was beaten by U.S. forces at an unknown location in Afghanistan. In one instance, he was taken via helicopter to a location where he was kicked in the stomach by ...
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Temperature, Hooding/Goggling
June 21, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 779
Memo of a conversation between an unknown interviewee and [redacted]. In the memo, the interviewee discusses methods used to get detainees to talk. Interviewee explained that detainees are captured, blindfolded, yelled at, pushed, in order to ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault, General, Use of phobias, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity
May 23, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 832
Interviewee's Procedure 15 interview is an addendum to his prior interview (Interviewee's title and length of assignment are unknown). Interviewee stated that he observed a detainee hooded and handcuffed to a railing. When he inquired about the ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
George R. Fay, Ricardo Sanchez
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity
| ACLU-RDI 413

This document is the Claim for Compensation; documents in support of the claim; and correspondence from the Army Claim Service concerning a claim by an Iraqi/Swedish citizen for compensation for his alleged torture and other mistreatment ...

Feb. 28, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Letter, Photograph
Antonio Taguba
Use of water, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, General, Threat, Assault/death, Use of electricity, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Manipulation of interrogator’s identity