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 (102)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
June 20, 2004 | DON | ACLU-RDI 2539
Navy Chief Petty Officer, Gunners Mate, discusses in-processing and handling of detainees. States that taped up goggles are put on detainees. Other units use hoods. States, "I've never seen anybody get kicked, punched, or sexually abused. Guys ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Mar. 24, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 2531
Documents related to CID Investigations 0233-03-CID259-61217 and 0022-04-CID149-. Includes two Agent's Investigative Reports and a translation of a statement provided by a detainee. The first Agent's Investigative report summarizes interviews ...
June 30, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Walling, Sexual, General, Stress positions, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling
May 28, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 2457
Letter is a response to questions from Senator Leahy regarding the treatment of detainees in US custody. The letter denies the use of hoods, stripping or stress positions. States that "Lt Gen. Sanchez's 05/13/2004 memo prohibits the use of ...
June 30, 2006
Letter
Patrick Leahy, Ricardo Sanchez
Stress positions, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Environmental manipulation
Nov. 08, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2315
Report on an informal investigation conducted by Brigadier General Richard P. Formica into specific allegations of detainee abuse within CJSOTF-AP [Combined Joint Special Operating Task Force – Arabian Peninsula] and 5th SF [Special Forces] Group ...
June 15, 2006
Oversight Report, Investigative File
Richard P. Formica
Ricardo Sanchez, George R. Fay, Richard P. Formica
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Sexual, General, Threat, Assault/death, Family/others, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual
May 03, 2004 | DOA | OJAG | ACLU-RDI 2294

This document is the Court Martial - charge and prosecution package for Specialist Charles A. Graner, Jr. of the 372nd Military Police Company. SPC Graner was a key figure in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal and this document contains the ...

Feb. 15, 2006
Photograph, UCMJ (Court-Martial), Judicial (Transcript)
Charles A. Graner, Jr.
Physical assault, Sexual, Assault/death, Family/others, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Sexual, Religious, Forced physical training, Threat, Environmental manipulation, Other Humiliation
May 07, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 1837
Original email describes a visit from [redacted], a committee member of an Islamic human rights organization. The email also references a conversation between the author and [redacted] discussing alleged abuse cases that took place at Abu Ghraib.
Dec. 21, 2005
Email
Geoffrey D. Miller, Ricardo Sanchez
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, General, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other
Aug. 30, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 1835
Emails discuss a detainee's allegation that he was butt stroked in the face by a Soldier after being captured, while blindfolded and flexcuffed.
Dec. 21, 2005
Email
Physical assault, General, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Nov. 04, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 1762
Investigation based on civilian contractor's allegation that he witnessed U.S. Marines abusing Iraqi detainees. In a sworn statement the contractor says he saw Marines place bags over an Iraqi prisoners' heads and strike him in the head with a ...
Nov. 30, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Attention grasp, General, Threat, Assault/death, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
May 20, 2004 | DOA | OJAG | ACLU-RDI 1756

This Court Martial record (volume 5 of 8) discusses the court martial proceedings of Staff Sergeant Ivan L. Frederick, II, who was charged for offenses he committed while assigned to the Abu Ghraib Detention Facility on or about November 08, ...

Nov. 30, 2005
UCMJ (Court-Martial)
Ivan L. Frederick, II, Romie Leslie Brownlee, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Ricardo Sanchez, Antonio Taguba, George R. Fay, Megan M. Ambuhl, Charles A. Graner, Jr., Jeremy C. Sivits, Javal Sean Davis, Sabrina D. Harman, Armin J. Cruz, Lynndie Rana England, Paul J. Kern, Anthony R. Jones, Geoffrey D. Miller, Walter Wojdakowski, Barbara G. Fast, Janis Leigh Karpinski, Steven L. Jordan, Jason L. Jones, Togo D. West, Jr., Richard A. Coleman, J.L. Johnson, J.S. Mobley, Barbara G. Fast, Thomas Pappas
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Threat, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Temperature, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Forced grooming, Other
May 20, 2004 | DOA | OJAG | ACLU-RDI 1757
This Court Martial record (volume 6 of 8) discusses the court martial proceedings of Staff Sergeant Ivan L. Frederick, II, who was charged for offenses he committed while assigned to the Abu Ghraib Detention Facility on or about November 08, ...
Nov. 30, 2005
UCMJ (Court-Martial)
Megan M. Ambuhl, Javal Sean Davis, Charles A. Graner, Jr., Sabrina D. Harman, Jeremy C. Sivits, Armin J. Cruz, Lynndie Rana England, Ivan L. Frederick, II, Antonio Taguba, Captain Kobs, Janis Leigh Karpinski
Physical assault, General, Threat, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Other