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)

Medical record of examination of a 29-year-old male detainee. Medical records follow a series of seizure-like episodes suffered while at Abu Ghraib. Just before one episode, a guard noted the detainee was crying for five minutes. Detainee ...
Email seeks confirmation from recipients that two detainees, believed to be members of the Hezib Tehreer target set and planning future attacks, were released.
Sworn statement of a government civilian employee (GS-12) regarding detention practices. Mentions detainees "who were complaining" and who "had obvious injuries to their faces, their wrists, and water blisters on their legs." According to the ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, Sexual, General, Other Humiliation, Sexual
Memo from the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Fallujah, it discusses the character of a sailor and mentions his allegation of detainee abuse. The possibly relevant information is redacted.
CID Report of investigation regarding alleged abuse of detainee at unknown detention facility in Tikrit, Iraq. Detainee picked up by Iraqi Police on or about April 15, 2004. He was interviewed with the assistance of an interpreter on May 5, ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Investigative File (CID)
John Peterson
Physical assault, General, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling, Nudity
A detainee who was released from custody, Maleem Fidel Mohammad, made public statements concerning being sexually abused with the use of dogs while in Coalition custody. Mr. Mohammad reportedly was hoping that his statements would turn local ...
Medical exam of a 20 year-old Iraqi male. The report indicates he was in good shape. He was released for questioning.
Medical report on a 24 year-old male detainee at his initial in-take screening at Abu Ghraib prison. The screening determined the detainee to be in good health and condition.
Apr. 18, 2005
Medical (Physical (non-death))
Physical assault

Report of investigation into allegations of detainee abuse in Baghdad, Iraq. The investigation followed the report of a soldier striking a detainee during a warehouse search. The report concluded that the soldier acted appropriately when ...

Emails relating to an investigation into allegations of abuse of two Ukranian individuals detained in Abu Ghraib. The detainees were caught attempting to illegally smuggle oil and were sentenced to ten years in jail by the Iraqi court system ...
Nov. 08, 2004
Email
Jacqueline J. Scott
Physical assault, Other
CID Report of investigation initiated by Secretary of Defense on basis of “a photograph suspected to depict U.S. Army personnel abusing an Iraqi detainee.” The photograph, taken with a digital camera and found on a government computer, depicts ...
Dec. 30, 2004
Investigative File (CID)
Nelson van Eck, Jacqueline J. Scott
Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Investigation into a soldier accused of stealing prayer beads and headwraps from prisoners at Camp Delta Detention Facility at Guantanamo Bay between April and July 2003. The investigation commenced after the soldier distributed such personal ...
Nov. 08, 2004
Investigative File (CID)
Thom Jones
This email states that Admiral Church has requested information on interrogator issues and the party to the email states that the DIA IG is requesting similar information. Several drafts of the information request are passed back and forth and ...
Apr. 06, 2005
Email
Albert T. Church

Interviewee became the Chief of Staff under MG Fast in October 2003. Interviewee's sworn statement describes the general atmosphere at AG (chain of command, etc.); explains a lack of "formal system to monitor [contractor] ...

Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement)
Ricardo Sanchez, Thomas Pappas, Barbara G. Fast
Discusses incidents of abuse of detainees by Army personnel that have been substantiated. Legal discussion point out that Article 93 does not specifically prohibit these acts, but does prohibit cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment and intent ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Non-legal Memo
Physical assault, General, Assault/death, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Nudity, Sexual, Religious, Threat, Other Humiliation
Email from FBI agent to Alex J. Turner to give him a "Heads-up" so he doesn't get "Blindsided" on a matter that the email author states they were contacted about. Contents redacted.
Dec. 15, 2004
Email
Alex J. Turner
Alex J. Turner

Email to Alex Turner as a Heads-up on Public Corruption Case.

May 18, 2005
Email
Alex J. Turner
Alex J. Turner, Charles J. Cunningham
This document is a statement from an unknown military suspect concerning his/her knowledge of allegations of mistreatment of Manadel Al-Jamadi, who was held at Abu-Ghraib while in the custody of Foxtrot Platoon, SEAL Team #7. This military ...
Jan. 14, 2014
Interview (Statement)
Manadel Al-Jamadi
Physical assault
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent, an Arabic Language Specialist, reported ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent did not report observing any aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent did not report observing any aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent, a community outreach specialist did not ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reports that s/he did not witness any ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent "did not observe any aggressive treatment ...

Investigation into a recordable compact disc containing images of suspected detainee abuse in in Afghanistan between January 11 and January 19, 2004. The images on the CD depicted U.S. soldiers holding weapons on hooded and bound local ...

Nov. 08, 2004
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Threat, Assault/death, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
Document Index: Intelligence Interrogation of Enemy Combatant Detainee Ali Saleh al-Marri. Contents redacted.
Apr. 06, 2005
Non-legal Memo, Other
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Document Index: Intelligence Interrogation of Enemy Combatant a Detainee. there is a compliation of six (6) documents listed as produced.
The purpose of the memo was to provide information regarding alleged detainee abuse by Soldiers at the Samarra Bridge in Iraq on January 3, 2004, in which two Iraqis were stopped near a checkpoint in Samarra. After being taken into custody they ...
May 16, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Raymond T. Odierno, Michael J. Marchand
Email. Contents redacted.
Email details FBI investigation of mistreatment, abuse or "highly aggressive" treatment of detainees in Iraq that are known or observed by FBI agents who have cycled through Guantanamo. The email states that fourteen (14) agents have witnessed ...

Emails concerning internal DOD news with this initial comment from Marion "Spike" Bowman: "I understand that there is/was to be a strategy session with FBI in about 10 days. I presume those in the FBI involved with this ...

Responding to email concerning detainees. The memo author states they did not witness or participate in aggressive treatment, interrogations or interviews of military detainees at Guantanamo that was not consistent with FBI policy.
In response to the canvass of FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay an inquiry regarding the treatment of military detainees treatment was instigated. A Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) reports that during his/her assignment in Guantanamo, ...
May 18, 2005
Non-legal Memo
Monte C. Strait
DOS Cable discusses the transfer for release of detainees at Guantanamo Bay (GTMO). It states that the detainee's host governments are willing to accept the nationals. The names and countries of the detainees are listed, but redacted.
This email is a response to a Bureau wide memo sent by Steve McCraw to illicit information from FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay to report any suspected or witnessed abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. This FBI agent states "In late ...
Jan. 02, 2007
Non-legal Memo, Email
Steven C. McCraw
Steven C. McCraw
Physical assault, Use of phobias, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Other Humiliation, Religious
This email is a response to a Bureau wide memo sent by Steve McCraw to illicit information from FBI agents who toured through Guantanamo Bay to report any suspected or witnessed abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay. This FBI agent touring through ...
Jan. 02, 2007
Non-legal Memo, Email
Steven C. McCraw
Sleep deprivation
This article criticizes the CIA's use of secret detention facilities and its interrogation methods. It states, "several of the CIA's detainees probably have been tortured and "a controversial Justice Department opinion defending such abuse was ...
Mar. 15, 2013
Other
George J. Tenet
Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Abu Zubaydah
Use of water, Waterboarding
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no treatment, ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...
Document responds to request for information regarding treatment of detainees at GTMO (Counterterrorism Division, Guantanamo, Inspection Special Inquiry, Case ID # 297-HQ-A1327669-A); the responding agent reported observing no aggressive ...