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 (6015)

Summary of AR 15-6 investigation into death of detainee who was picked up in a cafe on 12/22/2003 and appeared to be mentally challenged. Detainee was held at 2-3 FA Detention Center for about 3 days, and then transported to 501 FSB Detention ...

On April 16, 2004, members of Marine Corps stopped and detained three (3) men who were transferred to the Division Interrogation Facility (DIF). On April 26, 2004 the DIF released the trio to the custody of Task Force 6-26. They were then ...
June 28, 2006
Investigative File
James N. Mattis
Physical assault, General, Sexual
Marine Corps inquiry in to possible abuse of a detainee on April 13, 2004 at the Al Mahmudiya Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Iraq. Members of the guard force at the Detention Facility were accused of shocking a detainee using a power cord by ...
June 28, 2006
Non-legal Memo, Investigative File (AR 15-6)
James N. Mattis
James N. Mattis
Use of electricity
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 ...
Two (2) suspects in the theft from the Iraqi National Guard (ING) Training Camp at Camp Junction City, allege being abused while in custody. Both suspects provided facts "proven to be false and established patterns of not providing the truth". ...
Report on an informal investigation conducted by Brigadier General Richard P. Formica into specific allegations of detainee abuse within CJSOTF-AP [Combined Joint Special Operating Task Force – Arabian Peninsula] and 5th SF [Special Forces] Group ...
Report by Brigadier General Charles H. Jacoby into detainee operations in Afghanistan. The purpose of the report is to ensure that forces assigned to the theater of operations understand the concept of humane treatment and are providing humane ...
June 15, 2006
Oversight Report
Charles H. Jacoby
This is the verbatim record of the trial of USMC Lance Corporal Walter H. Laak who was tried for abusing detainees. He pleaded to all charges. His punishment was confinement for 120 days; Reduction to pay grade E-1; and discharge from the Marine ...
June 15, 2006
UCMJ (Court-Martial), Judicial (Transcript)
Walter H. Laak
Physical assault
Court Martial of LCPL Ryan S. Roberts. LCPL Roberts was charged with dereliction of duty; maltreatment of a prisoner; and holding a pistol to the head of a detainee while being photographed. He pleaded guilty to all charges and received a ...
June 15, 2006
UCMJ (Court-Martial)
Ryan S. Roberts
Use of water, Physical assault

Sargent Taylor was accused of dereliction of duty by not preventing Iraqi detainees from being abused by soldiers under his command. Specifically, detainees were locked in abandoned tanks; sprayed with fire extinguishers; and had shots fired ...

June 15, 2006
UCMJ (Court-Martial)
Alan R. Taylor
Physical assault, Threat, Assault/death