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 (194)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
July 01, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6756
This cable discusses issues that may arise during interrogations of Abu Zubaydah. The cable is heavily redacted, but sections regarding decision making authority and Abu Zubaydah's confinement conditions are partially unredacted.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Aug. 01, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6757
This August 2002 cable regarding Abu Zubaydah's interrogation is largely redacted with the exception of one paragraph that addresses restrictions on the use of the confinement box due to Abu Zubaydah's leg wound.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Cramped confinement
July 19, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6777
This CIA cable describes Abu Zubaydah's condition in detention as of July 19, 2002. The cable states that the next stage of Zubaydah's detention will include confinement, dressing changes, walling and a head immobilizer, as requested by IC SERE ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Walling, Cramped confinement, Isolation, Other, Physical assault
Apr. 24, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6789
This April 2002 cable provides an updated interrogation plan for Abu Zubaydah, which includes descriptions of the physical environment, security measures, and interrogation process, including the use of interrogation techniques.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature
May 01, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6776
This May 2002 cable contains a summary of the interrogation status of Abu Zubaydah. The summary states that because this is not a law enforcement interrogation, the interrogation team is not limited to the use of traditional law enforcement ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
July 01, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6743
This July 2002 cable is a request for guidance from headquarters on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. The cable expresses hesitation about using these techniques on subjects being held in solitary confinement without legal ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Walling, Threat, Mock Burial, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Hooding/Goggling
Nov. 01, 2002 | CIA | ACLU-RDI 6737
This is a redacted memo which discusses the interrogations Mitchell and Jessen are involved with and where they are needed. Mitchell is associated with the interrogation of several different detainees, all redacted except for Gul Rahman.
Dec. 20, 2016
Non-legal Memo, Cable
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Gul Rahman
EIT
June 19, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6682
This cable describes a redacted detainee's behavior in the second day of a three week isolation phase.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Isolation
June 23, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6686
This cable describes a redacted detainee's behavior in the fifth day of a three week isolation phase.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Isolation
June 24, 2002 | ACLU-RDI 6687
This cable describes a redacted detainee's behavior in the sixth day of a three week isolation phase.
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Isolation