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 (69)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Detainee alleges being beaten on the head and passing out. Detainee was punched; beaten with rifles; had water thrown on him; and was laid down in front of a tank and told he would be run over. Members of the unit were interviewed and denied the ...
A detainee alleges that when he was captured he was taken to a palace in Ramadi where he was kicked and electrocuted. The detainee was medically checked during this period and no signs of injury or abuse were indicated.
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, General, Use of electricity

Female detainee alleged she was abused while in US custody. The investigation stated that there was insufficient evidence to prove the offenses of aggravated assault and cruelty and maltreatment. Detainee alleges she was forced to stand ...

Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Walling, General, Sleep deprivation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual
Detainee alleged that he was abused while in custody of U.S. forces. The detainee claims he was beaten, sexually assaulted and had his property stolen. Once released, detainee filed a complaint and told his story on Hardball with Chris Matthews. ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Sexual, General, Nudity, Sexual, Other Humiliation
Investigation into abuse of detainee identified in Time magazine. Insufficient evidence.
Investigation into assault of detainee after an escape attempt and subsequent homicide. Soldiers conspired to provide false statements to investigators. After subduing detainee with excessive force, soldiers continued to assault him by slamming ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Walling, General
Investigation into death of detainee after he was interrogated. The cause of death was undetermined but was investigated for murder. A sergeant stated that he struck the detainee with the butt of his weapon while trying to subdue him and the ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID), Photograph, Interview (Statement)
Physical assault, General
Detainee states that he was taken to the Kilometer 22 Station, Al Qaim, Iraq, between July 14 & 21, 2003. An interpreter who was present at the facility at the time and may have participated in the interrogation stated that they never witnessed ...
Detainee alleges he was held at detention facility called "Tarak Base", located near Fallujah for six (6) days until he was transferred to “The Farm”. During the alleged interrogation at “The Farm” a male interrogator grabbed him by his hair, ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Walling, General
Investigation into abuse of detainee at Ramadi Palace before arriving at Abu Ghraib. Detainee alleges that he was hood and handcuffed, kicked and hit with the butt of a rifle in the back. Doctor found no signs of bruising. Marine Corps had ...
Feb. 15, 2006
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, General, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling