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 (39)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Sept. 11, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 963
In October 2003, Specialist Cruz participated in the abuse of detainees in the Hard Site at Abu Ghraib. Spc. Cruz and others ordered three (3) detainees to strip naked. The detainees were handcuffed together with metal handcuffs "to mess with ...
Apr. 06, 2005
UCMJ (Court-Martial), Judicial (Transcript)
Armin J. Cruz
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Sexual, General, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Forced physical training
May 10, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 660
This document is the condensed notes of an interview of at Screener in Abu Ghraib Prison from Mid-December 2003 through January 2004. The interview is a verbatim rendition of the Screener’s statement and it is noted that the statement is to be ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement, Summaries/Notes)
George R. Fay
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, Walling, Sexual, General, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Other
Jan. 31, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 721
This sworn statement by a Corporal, interrogator assigned to the 325th Military Intelligence Battalion and the 205th Military Intelligence Battalion. Explained that detainees would be brought to him either in handcuffs or not, would request that ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Use of water, Other, Stress positions, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Forced physical training, Other
May 21, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 787
This statement by an Army Captain with the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion was at several operating bases in Iraq and specifically at Camp Victory Bushmaster, Dogwood and Abu Ghraib Prison on or about July 23, 2003. The Capt. stated that ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Thomas Pappas, Ricardo Sanchez
Use of water, Physical assault, Stress positions, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other
June 04, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 819
[Handwritten, at times illegible] Interviewee was a member of Military Intelligence arrived to AG on or about October 24, 2003, answered that he/she never witnessed detainee abuse or sexual assault. Interviewee did attest to the nudity of ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Questionnaire)
Thomas Pappas
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, Sexual, General, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Nudity, Forced physical training
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
May 23, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 833
Interviewee (title and length of assignment unknown). In the interviewee's sworn statement, recalled observing a detainee hooded and handcuffed to a railing. Interviewee recalled seeing dogs used during interrogations, in one instance, the dogs ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Transcript)
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
May 24, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 846
Interviewee was assigned to AG on October 21 as the Chief of the Terrorist, Foreign Fighters and Extremist element of the JIDC. Interviewee recalled one detainee being handcuffed to the cell bar, which restricted his movement. Interviewee ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Transcript)
Ricardo Sanchez, Thomas Pappas
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Other Humiliation, Forced grooming, Forced physical training
May 25, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 900
This sworn statement is by a civilian contractor with the Titan Corp. assigned to Abu Ghraib prison on October 13, 2003 as a Linguist/Translator to conduct translation services during interrogations at the prison. The translator recalled hearing ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Thomas Pappas
Use of water, Other, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Forced grooming
July 21, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 29

Investigation initiated on the basis of a report by a serviceman's wife that he had a photograph of himself pointing a gun at the head of a bound and hooded detainee. When interviewed, the soldier explained that he was following orders and ...

Dec. 30, 2004
Investigative File (CID)
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, General, Threat, Assault/death, Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling