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 (95)

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

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 while at Abu Ghraib prison several soldiers slapped; punched; choked; struck his head, shoulders, and arms with a retractable metal baton; jumped on him; forced him to lean against a wall in a seated position; forced him to ...
CID Report describes the charges of aggravated assault, cruelty and maltreatment, and conspiracy being investigated. This document is related to ACLU RDI 1538.
Sept. 20, 2005
Investigative File (CID)
Physical assault, Walling, General, Stress positions
This document is the Charge Sheet against Sergeant Scott A. McKenzie for his Court Martial on abusing Iraqi detainees. It includes the charges; Articles of the UCMJ he is accused of violating; details of the charges; Sgt. McKenzie's plea to each ...
July 01, 2005
Legal Memo, UCMJ (Court-Martial)
David D. McKiernan
Scott A. McKenzie
Face slap or insult slap, Walling, General, Assault/death, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Other Humiliation, Physical assault, Threat
Commander's report of a 15-6 Investigation and Courts-Martial, dated December 2003. This document pertains to allegations that U.S. soldiers broke the jaw of an Iraqi high school boy. There is evidence that suggests the 311th MI personnel and/or ...
This Memo from the Army is dismissing, with prejudice, charges brought in a Court-Martial proceeding in exchange for the soldier pleading guilty to two (2) charges brought in an Article 15 proceeding. The investigation was in regards to ...
Mar. 23, 2005
Legal Memo, Photograph, Interview (Statement), UCMJ (Court-Martial, Article 15)
Face slap or insult slap, Walling, General, Assault/death, Physical assault, Threat
This document is the condensed notes of an interview of at Screener in Abu Ghraib Prison from Mid-December 2003 through January 2004. The interview is a verbatim rendition of the Screener’s statement and it is noted that the statement is to be ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Statement, Summaries/Notes)
George R. Fay
Use of water, Other, Physical assault, Walling, Sexual, General, Use of electricity, Stress positions, Use of phobias, Sleep deprivation, Isolation, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Other
Sworn statement from a CACI contractor who screened detainees arriving at Abu Ghraib from Asamiya Palace (alternate spelling: Adhamiya Palace) from mid-December 2003 through January 2004. The Screener describes in her statement hearing ...
Abu Ghraib translator's sworn statement and responses to questionnaire. The translator claimed to have witnessed detainees who were physically abused, shaken, thrown into doors, and hit with footballs. Detainees were undressed and forced into ...
Mar. 03, 2005
Interview (Transcript, Questionnaire)
Physical assault, Walling, General, Nudity, Other Humiliation, Sexual, Religious, Other