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)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
Feb. 07, 2002 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6581
This February 7, 2002 OLC memo from Jay Bybee finds that the President has "reasonable factual grounds" to determine that no members of the Taliban militia are entitled prisoner of war status under Article 4 of the third Geneva Convention (1949).
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
Jay S. Bybee
Counsel to the President
Jay S. Bybee
June 11, 2009 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6577
This June 11, 2009 OLC memo from David Barron states the withdrawal of an additional OLC opinion regarding CIA interrogation methods. The decision to withdraw was made in connection with the consideration of this opinion for possible public release.
Aug. 31, 2016
Legal Memo
David J. Barron
Attorney General
David J. Barron
Nov. 26, 2001 | U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6519
N/A
U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6524
N/A
U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6526
N/A
June 13, 2016
Non-legal Memo
SERE
U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6527
N/A
June 13, 2016
Non-legal Memo
Stress positions
Jan. 22, 2003 | U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6529
N/A
June 13, 2016
Non-legal Memo, Cable
EIT
Jan. 22, 2003 | U.S.A. | ACLU-RDI 6530
N/A
June 13, 2016
Non-legal Memo, Cable
EIT
Sept. 06, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6544
Email from Daniel Levin to John Rizzo discussing whether the use of twelve interrogation techniques in the interrogation of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani would violate any U.S. statute, the U.S. Constitution, or any treaty obligation of the U.S.
June 13, 2016
Email
Daniel B. Levin
John A. Rizzo
Daniel B. Levin, John A. Rizzo
Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
EIT, Use of water, 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
Sept. 20, 2004 | OLC | ACLU-RDI 6545
Email from Daniel Levin to John Rizzo discussing whether the use of twelve interrogation techniques in the interrogation of Sharif al-Masri would violate any U.S. statute, the U.S. Constitution, or any treaty obligation of the U.S.
June 13, 2016
Email
Daniel B. Levin
John A. Rizzo
Daniel B. Levin, John A. Rizzo
Khalid Al-Masri
EIT, 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, Use of water