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 (6709)

Investigation into incident where a soldier of the 239th MP Company sprayed a detainee with a water hose. If found guilty, soldier would be punished at the least with a reduction to the grade of E-3, and seven days restriction. The circumstances ...
June 24, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6)
Use of water, Water dousing
Email only states "Hello from GTMO" and "That's it for now. More to follow after the aforementioned meeting." Contents Completely Redacted.
Detainee states he was detained by Northern Alliance forces and housed in a Kandahar, Afghanistan "jail". During his detention he observed the Northern Alliance guards randomly would beat some of the other the detainees with sticks, chains and in ...
State Department cable - Subject: Conditions for Access to Detainees at Guantanamo Bay. No additional information or comments.
Aug. 09, 2005
Cable
Richard A. Boucher
Richard A. Boucher
The Criminal Investigation Task Force (CITF) interviewed two detainees at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to learn of camp conditions. The interview was conducted by the FBI and other agencies. One detainee explained that since being detained at ...
Dec. 21, 2005
Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Other Humiliation, Other
Detainee interviewed at Camp Delta states that he is dissatisfied with the treatment the detainees are receiving by U.S. military personnel that are assigned to Camp Delta. He states and others have been 'beaten, spit upon and treated worse than ...
May 18, 2005
Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Physical assault, General, Other
State Department cable announcing the release of four (4) detainees from Guantanamo to their home governments. The cable also states that the U.S. is willing to release detainees to home countries that are willing to treat the former detainees ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Ronald W. Miller, JoAnn J. Dolan, Pierre-Richard Prosper
The index lists this document as: MG Dunlavey Request dtd 11 October 2002.
FBI Summary Notes indicate that the detainees are upset with the way they are treated by the guards. They are upset because they are being held as prisoners without being charged with a crime and that they should be charged or released; The ...
Email with an update that four detainees will be released from Guantanamo. The email states "At long last, some excellent news. In the very near future, four (4) Detainees, three (3) Afghans and one (1) Tajik will be sent home. Please keep this ...
FBI Summary Notes indicate that the detainees are upset with the way they are treated by the guards. They are upset because they are being held as prisoners without being charged with a crime and that they should be charged or released; The ...
Email from JoAnn Dolan to Brian Leventhal concerning a CBS Evening News segment that highlighted the release of a 90 year-old Afghani man being released from detention at Guantanamo. The report stated that the man was mistakenly pick up during a ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
Brian H. Leventhal
Brian H. Leventhal, JoAnn J. Dolan
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Deputies Committee Meeting on Detainees 10/16
Email from Gilda M. Brancato to Ed Cummings forwarding Reuters artcile re: French detainees at Guantanamo complaining of psychological torture. No comments on email.
DOD PowerPoint presentation on Guantanamo's states that the facility is a "Long-term holding facility for detention of enemy combatants" and gives a brief descriptions of detainees and the initiatives being undertaken at the camp to ensure the ...
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of Conclusions for Deputies Committee Meeting on Detainees 10/16/02
State Department cable re: Principals Committee Meeting on Detainees on: 10/18/2002 at: 14:00. Remarks: Please prepare a briefing memo with annotated agenda and checklist for Principals Committee Meeting on Detainees, Friday, October 19, ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell, JoAnn J. Dolan, Beverly S. Holman
State Department cable draft response to questions submitted by an attorney for a detainee held at Guantanamo. This cable contains talking points to address the status of these citizens being held at Guantanamo. The cable goes on to state; 1) The ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Pierre-Richard Prosper
Detainee stated that he has been in prison for nine (9) months and no one can prove he committed any crime. He also claimed he was mistreated by U.S. Army Military Police soldiers during a recent cell block search. Interview was then ended.
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Interview (Summaries/Notes)
Other
DOS Cover Sheet re: Request to Interview Guantanamo Detainees
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Deputies Committee Meeting on Detainees
Email refers to a brief filed by the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States. [Brief is not included].
Dec. 30, 2004
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
JoAnn J. Dolan, Harry R. Melone
Medical report on a 16 year-old Iraqi male detainee from Abu Ghraib prison shot in the left hip and and arm with associated injuries. The medical records do not state how the detainee received his injuries and does not give any personal ...
Oct. 15, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
General, Physical assault
Detainee gave expansive interview on the conditions at Camp Delta; his views on different Al Queda leaders and US/Mid-East relations. He had no specific complaints about his conditions. When asked what he liked about America, he provided ...
This is an email from an FBI agent on a tour of duty at Guantanamo Bay. The email describes the release/repatriation announcement of four (4) Guantanamo detainees. After the announcement the author of the emails reported "unrest" and a ...
Dec. 15, 2004
Email
Michael E. Dunlavey
This email from an FBI agent on a tour of duty at Guantanamo Bay discusses announcement from the Pentagon that four (4) detainees were being repatriated to their respected countries (three Afghans and one Tajik). Memo states that upon news, ...
May 18, 2005
Email
Michael E. Dunlavey
State Department cable re: formal request for access to the Guantanamo detainees of a certain nationality (not disclosed). The cable states: "In a 10/20 meeting at the MFA, DCM informed MFA Americas Desk Director of [U.S. government's] to ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Stephanie J. Molnar
Detainee states that he has no condition complaints or accusations of abuse, but that he does not trust the American Government because they betrayed the trust earlier. He also states that he distrusts the Americans because officials from his ...
The embassy of an unknown country sent a note seeking information about a national who is being detained by the U.S. at Guantanamo. The DOS note written in response to their note states that the DOS is not in a position to respond to inquiries of ...
State Department cable concerning a filing in French court by families of two French nationals, seeking declaration of POW status for detainees. The French government argued against the family's actions. The cable indicates that the French judge ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell, Jonathan B. Schwartz
Detainee began the interview by saying he was under stress because he had not heard from his family and did not know how they were doing. He went on to confirm the details of how and where he was capti\ured in Afghanistan. Detainee denied any ...
United Nations Special Rapporteur report on allegations of potential detainee abuse at Kandahar, Afghanistan. This is an annex of a report which purports to describe how suspected Taliban detainees were bound and hooded while in U.S. custody in ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Letter
Physical assault, Stress positions, Cramped confinement
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of conclusions for Deputies Committee meeting on detainees - 10/16
Email refers to an information memo for SEC regarding upcoming release of some detainees from Guantanamo. [Document is not included].
Emails refer to a draft cable. [The more recent email is redacted; document is not included].
White House Cover Sheet re: Routing and Transmittal Slip. No additional in formation or comments.
DOS Office of the Legal Advisor interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of Conclusions for Deputies Committee Meeting on Detainees 10/16/02
Email from JoAnn Dolan to Geeta Pasi forwarding an email with attachment from Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Miller on a detainee transfer/release document Ms. Dolan is seeking Ms. Pasi's approval for. Attachment not included.
Dec. 30, 2004
Email
JoAnn J. Dolan
Geeta Pasi
JoAnn J. Dolan, Ronald W. Miller, Geeta Pasi
The index lists this document as: Gen. Hill Forward to CJCS dtd 25 October 2002.
A Detainee requested to be interviewed because he stated he was "Very Stressed" and he was being tormented by another detainee. He gave an expansive interview detailing that several of his fellow detainee had openly expressed a desire to harm the ...
Fax Cover Sheet from Michael Fooks to Joann Dolan re: Wives II
Dec. 30, 2004
Letter
Michael Fooks
JoAnn J. Dolan
JoAnn J. Dolan, Michael D. Fooks
This email forwards a letter received from the wives of unknown men. There is no context to the email.
Jan. 12, 2005
Email
Michael D. Fooks
Ronald W. Miller | JoAnn J. Dolan
Ronald W. Miller, JoAnn J. Dolan, Michael D. Fooks
Letter from Clifford G. Bond Concerning Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina Detainees Held at Guantanamo.
Jan. 12, 2005
Letter
Clifford G. Bond
Email sender is an FBI official in Guantanamo. He notes that Pentagon was scheduled to repatriate four (4) detainees, three (3), (Afghans) and one (1) (Tajik) to their home countries in late October [2002], and that the same plane will return ...
Dec. 15, 2004
Email
Michael E. Dunlavey
White House Fax Cover Sheet re: SOC for 18 October PC Meeting on Detainees. No addtional information. No attachments.
Contents redacted.
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of Conclusions for Deputies Committee Meeting on Detainees 10/18/02
State Department cable concerning the 2002 International Bar association meeting where the topic of discussion "range from International terrorism, Intellectual property, human rights and civil liberties". It is also mentioned that South African ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Cable
Colin L. Powell
Colin L. Powell
State Department email with attached press guidance concerning the possible release of some Guantanamo detainees.
General Dunlavey's meeting with the International Committee of the Red Cross: Minutes of October 29, 2003 Meeting. Contents redacted.
Mar. 03, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Michael E. Dunlavey , John J. Perrone