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.
An investigation into a detainee's complaint that $6,200 had been taken from him at a military checkpoint in Baghdad, Iraq. The report states that investigators were unable to interview, resulting in an incomplete investigation.
USMC Investigation into incident of abuse where a superior officer ordered a subordinates to take a detainees’ money, strip them naked to their underwear and release them in their underwear. Some soldiers protested. Investigator recommends ...
Marine Corps inquiry in to alleged detainee abuse based on statements related by medical personnel. The medical personnel claim the Marine being investigated stated that he injured his hand while punching a detainee. The inquiry found that it was ...
AR 15-6 report on the proceeding against a soldier (name redacted) who was accused of contributing to the death of an Iraqi detainee. The matter was transferred to Ft. Hood from Iraq.
This investigative report was generated by the Criminal Investigative Task Force (CITF) Report of Investigative Activity and the interview of the detainee at Camp Delta was conducted by the Navy Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The ...
Letter from an activist denouncing the President's November 13, 2001 Military Order: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War on Terrorism. The letter also expresses the author's regret that six detainees, including, ...
Following a roadside incident two (2) Iraqi civilians were awaiting soldier's investigation in to the matter, with their hands up and without any weapons. Several of these soldiers [proceeded to] punch, kick, butt stroke, and shout at the ...
This investigative report was generated by the Criminal Investigative Task Force (CITF) Report of Investigative Activity and the interview of the detainee at Camp Delta was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Navy Naval ...
Interview of a detainee at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay. The detainee said he is currently on a hunger strike along with several other detainees because of the mistreatment of another detainee. He will be on the hunger strike for a minimum of forty ...
Army Memo from Provost Marshall, Task Force Ironhorse re: Standard Operationg Procedure for Death of a Detainee. The purpose of this memorandum is to outline the actions needed in order to properly dispose of and record the death of a Detainee in ...
State Department cable describing the historic session of the newly formed Governing Council Participating in discussions with the United Nations on implementing UN Security Council resolutions post-war. UN Special representative Sergio Vieira De ...
This memo provides the Assistant Attorney General with recommendations regarding detainees to appear before the Transfer Review Board. Its contents are mostly redacted.
This State Department cable provides talking points concerning informing foreign governments about the transfer of their citizens/nationals to Guantanamo after they were picked-up on the battle field of Afghanistan, and policy guidance for ...
Army Memo concerning charges against a Captain who's soldiers were accused of several incidents of striking, kicking and threatening detainees with a loaded weapon at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. They also staged mock executions as ...
Administrative reprimand in accordance with investigation which found a Captain guilty of "unprofessional behavior" towards detainees and his "attempts to coerce and intimidate members of [his] unit in order to sidetrack the investigation into ...
DOS interagency delivery checklist for the appropriate handling and delivery of attached documents re: Summary of Conclusions for Principals Committee Meeting on Detainees - 7/15/03
DOS Memo re: Talking Points on Australian National Detained at Guantanamo. The memo states that "Australian legal
experts will visit the White House to discuss the issue of Australian nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay." and "The Legal Adviser ...
Emails between Molly C. Phee, Joshua L. Dorosin and Virginia L. Bennett re: Points on Detainee Issues with attachment. Comments are: "Molly - I've prepared the attached points on the detainee issue and have sent to DOD and NSC for clearance. What ...
This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. Sworn statement of a Lieutenant who worked with the Captain involved in detainee abuse. Although the Lieutenant did not ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier states he saw the Captain threatening detainees with a gun and treating them in a disrespectful way. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
May 16, 2005
Investigative File (AR 15-6), Interview (Statement) Threat, Assault/death
The document is part of the Article 32 Proceeding charge package against Sgt. Scott A. McKenzie. It lists grammatical changes to be made to transcripts by page and line.
Letter from a British Citizen denouncing the President's November 13, 2001 Military Order: Detention, Treatment, and Trial of Certain Non-Citizens in the War on Terrorism. The letter also expresses the author's regret that six detainees, ...
Sworn statement of a soldier concerning an incident where an Army Captain is accused of abusing a detainee. Soldier heard that the captain had hit detainees, but had not seen such abuse himself. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations ...
Sworn statement of a Soldier who was being questioned in relation to an allegation of detainee abuse. This statement is missing the first page of the statement. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at ...
Interview of detainee at Guantanamo Bay. Detainee complained of being mistreated by US forces while in detention in Bagram and during his transit to Camp Delta. He pointed to marks on his wrists that he claimed were caused by the shackles. ...
State Department cable summarizes the American Ambassador's Presentation of U.S. Policies on Iraq to 80 Mid-Level Arab Military Personnel. The officers also posed questions concerning U.S. visa policy, but the tone of the questioning was "mild".
FBI Interview of an Afghan detainee interviewed at Guantanamo Bay. He complained of being mistreated by U.S. forces while in detention in Bagram, Afghanistan and during his transit to Camp Delta. He pointed to marks on his wrists that he claimed ...
Army memo on the appointment of an investigating officer to conduct an AR 15-6 investigation in to the purported abuse of detainees at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. This document is part of an investigation in to an incident related to ...
This investigative report was generated by the Criminal Investigative Task Force (CITF) Report of Investigative Activity and the interview of the detainee at Camp Delta was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Navy Naval ...
The index lists this document as: Memo for the Record dtd 17 July 03. The heavily redacted memo mentions the detainee's arrest in Mauritania in 2001 and eventual transfer to Bagram Air Force Base.
State Department cable with talking points in response to statements and/or on the rules relating to military judicial commissions and the rule of law in the U.S. at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It is pointed out that ...
Memorandum for the record regarding a meeting with a senior CIA officer about the detention and interrogation program of the CIA. The unredacted portions of the document primarily discuss the alleged effectiveness of the program. [REDACTED] ...
Army Accident Claim Form re: Shooting and Detention of Iraqi Citizen. Woman claims her son, a night guard, was shot six times by Marines, and is now unable to work. This is related to ACLU RDI 434; 435; 436; 437; & 4865.
Sworn statement of a Soldier who witnessed a Captain taking a detainee in to the desert and making a detainee dig his own grave, and of a Staff Sargent firing a live round at or near the detainees. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
Sworn statement of a Soldier who treated a Captain for a hand injury he obtained when hitting a detainee. The statement does not provide details of the origin of the injury, however ACLU RDI 1158 is the sister statement from the other medic at ...
This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi Palace, Iraq – July 11-12, 2003. It is an executed rights warning completed by a soldier being interviewed on a matter of alleged detainee abuse. This ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The soldier also states the ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking a detainee. This document relates to an AR 15-6 investigations in to alleged detainee abuse at Ramadi ...
This memo is the appointment order for an investigating officer to investigate and make a recommendation as to any uncharged offenses against Sergeant Scott A. McKenzie for his role in detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib prison, except for minor ...
This memo appointing an Investigating Officer, signed by Janis Karpinski, is part of the Article 32 proceeding against Spc. Timothy F. Canjar for his role in detainee abuse at Camp Bucca, Iraq in May of 2003. Attached to the Letter of Appointment ...
Sworn statement for investigation an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain interrogating a detainee and makes the detainee dig a grave with the understanding that it will be for the detainee. Later, ...
Sworn statement of a Soldier who witnessed a Captain taking a detainee in to the desert and making a detainee dig his own grave. He also states that a Staff Sargent fired a live round at or near the detainees. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the captain threatening a detainee with a baseball bat. Statement is incomplete. This document relates to an AR 15-6 ...
Sworn statement of a soldier who witnessed an incident where an Army Captain abused a detainee. The Soldier witnessed the Captain kicking and threatening detainees with a gun and treating them in a disrespectful way. Soldier witnessed the captain ...
Sworn statement of the Sargent involved in a detainee abuse matter. The Sargent was an aid-de-camp to the Captain who is accused of kicking a detainee and threatening him with a loaded weapon while yelling at him. The Sargent's statement is thin ...