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 (71)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
May 01, 2002 | CIA | ACLU-RDI 6724
This redacted memo, sent from HQS/ALEC to the CIA, explains that the interrogation process with Abu Zubaydah is "at somewhat of a standstill" and presents options for proceeding in such a way that increases pressure on Zubaydah to provide ...
Dec. 20, 2016
Cable
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Threat, Family/others, Cramped confinement
CIA-OGC | ACLU-RDI 4596

An undated CIA memo arguing that the CIA's interrogation program does not violate the Convention Against Torture, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2340-2340A, or 18 U.S.C. § 2441. Part of the memo relies upon the contention that so long as ...

Aug. 24, 2009
Legal Memo
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound
OLC | ACLU-RDI 4597

Summary of OLC legal advice to the Counsel to the President, the CIA, and the DoD regarding the CIA's and DoD's interrogation programs. [OLC Vaughn Index # 159]

Aug. 24, 2009
Legal Memo
Alberto R. Gonzales
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Walling, General, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation
OLC | ACLU-RDI 4599

An OLC summary of three OLC opinions issued to the CIA in May 2005 regarding the legality of the CIA's interrogation program. Those three opinions are listed as "Related Documents." [OLC Vaughn Index # 164]

Aug. 24, 2009
Legal Memo
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Dietary manipulation, Nudity
OLC | ACLU-RDI 4600

This undated draft OLC memo summarizes OLC opinions regarding interrogation of detainees. Much of it is similar to the other OLC memos concerning the CIA's interrogation program, with several exceptions. For example, on page 2, the memo notes ...

Aug. 24, 2009
Legal Memo
Alberto R. Gonzales, John L. Helgerson, Scott W. Muller, John D. Ashcroft
Abu Zubaydah
EIT, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation
CIA | ACLU-RDI 4617

Redacted certification sheet used in CIA interrogation training. [OIG Remand Vaughn #Other-93]

Aug. 24, 2009
Non-legal Memo
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement
CIA | ACLU-RDI 6515
This document, prepared by the Chief of Medical Services, summarizes and reflects upon the rendition, detention and interrogation program. The findings include that in a particular no evidence was found that the use of waterboard produced ...
June 13, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Gul Rahman, Abu Zubaydah
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, General, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Threat, Mock Burial, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Dietary manipulation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Nudity
CIA | ACLU-RDI 6557
This document, prepared by the Chief of Medical Services, summarizes and reflects upon the rendition, detention and interrogation program. The findings include that in a particular no evidence was found that the use of waterboard produced ...
Sept. 30, 2016
Non-legal Memo
James Mitchell , Bruce Jessen
Abu Zubaydah, Gul Rahman
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Waterboarding, Physical assault, General, Face slap or insult slap, Attention grasp, Facial hold, Walling, Threat, Mock Burial, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Nudity
| ACLU-RDI 6491
This report details the investigation into the death of Gul Rahman.
Oversight Report
CIA Office of Inspector General
John Helgerson
Gul Rahman
EIT, Use of water, Physical assault, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Environmental manipulation, Light or sound, Temperature, Nudity
CIA | ACLU-RDI 6504
This document is a fax from [redacted], [redacted] Legal Group, DCI Counterterrorist Center, CIA to Steve Bradbury, Office of Legal Counsel, Department of Justice, containing answers composed by the CIA' s Office of Medical Services to the ...
Letter
Steve Bradbury
Steven G. Bradbury
EIT, SERE, Use of water, Water dousing, Physical assault, Face slap or insult slap, Stomach/abdominal slap, Walling, Stress positions, Cramped confinement, Sleep deprivation, Environmental manipulation, Temperature