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 (570)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
June 15, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1082
Detainee claimed that while he was being captured in Altlafia by U.S. forces soldiers hit him in the stomach, nose and mouth area with their fists. The doctor who saw the detainee on June 15, 2004 stated that he did have any bruising. The ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Face slap or insult slap, Physical assault
Aug. 18, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1083
Medical records of Iraqi male detainees who were injured during a prison riot in Abu Ghraib prison. A group of prisoners became unruly and guards used lethal force to subdue the crowd. The circumstances surrounding the incident were ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Physical assault, Other
June 14, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1084
Autopy no: ME04-434; Fawaz Badaa Najem, a 42 year old male Iraqi civilian, was in US custody at Abu Ghraib. Be began making gasping sounds which awoke another detainee. The decedent was found to be unresponsive and pulseless. Resuscitation ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Fawaz Badaa Najem
Physical assault
Oct. 25, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 1090
15 yea- old male was raped in hardcell by two other inmates. Speaks reluctantly and fearfully. Examined 12 hours after the rape. No evidence of bruising or physical trauma.
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Sexual, Physical assault
Sept. 23, 2004 | DOD | ACLU-RDI 4743

Collection of 25 death certificates and summary of 30 detainee autopsy reports from Afghanistan and Iraq. Full autopsy reports can be found at ACLU RDI 991-1018.

Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy)
Physical assault, General
July 13, 2003 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 4744
Autopsy report and death certificate of Basim Mohammed Hussein held at Baghdad International Airport, died July 12, 2003 of hemoptysis caused by tuberculosis. Related to ACLU RDI: 71, 995 & 1053. CID#: 0014-03-CID919-63732
Mar. 06, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 4745
Medical records of several Abu Ghraib prisoners including a 25 year-old male detainee who attempted to hang himself. The report is related to CID investigation 0084-04-CID519-81169.
May 23, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 4759
A 30 year-old male Iraqi detainee states he received maltreatment at the hands of US forces at the Mosul Airport.The detainee reports being beaten when he was arrested. He states he was hooded; had hands tied behind his back; placed in a cold ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Face slap or insult slap, General, Dietary manipulation, Other, Physical assault
Oct. 12, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 5001

Autopsy report, preliminary autopsy report, trauma record, death certificate, and hospital report of death relating to the death of Husham Nafit Ghafar. The cause of his death was a shotgun wound to the head. The circumstances surrounding ...

Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Husham Nafit Ghafar
Oct. 12, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 5002
Autopsy report, preliminary autopsy report, trauma record, death certificate, and hospital report of death relating to the death of Fras Moazahim Habib. The cause of his death was a shotgun wound to the chest. Additional shotgun wound paths ...
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Autopsy, Death Certificate)
Fras Moazahim Habib
Physical assault, General