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 (4791)

RelevanceDateRelease Date
July 08, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2535
Sworn statement by a commander of [redacted]. Refers to allegations of detainee abuse. Notes, "A detainee died at the 3rd ACR detention facility. I told all of my guys to be extremely careful with the treatment of detainees because they could be ...
June 27, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2536
Sworn statement by US Navy Commander. Discusses detainee detention limits and extensions. States, "The facilities we maintained for detainee exploitation are austere but more than adequate." Makes no mention of abuse, and states, "The most ...
June 30, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2537
Sworn statement by a Major, who discusses detainee operations. States, "ICDC [Iraqi Civilian Defense Corps] interview techniques were a little rougher than ours and there was a guy that got slapped, so the commander decided not to leave ICDC ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
Assault/death, Use of phobias, Threat
July 06, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2538
Sworn statement of Chief Warrant Officer 3 discusses interrogation and detention conditions and practices. "Titan employees don't interrogate?they translate. Interrogators are all military or FBI." Mentions food provided to detainees and ...
June 20, 2004 | DON | ACLU-RDI 2539
Navy Chief Petty Officer, Gunners Mate, discusses in-processing and handling of detainees. States that taped up goggles are put on detainees. Other units use hoods. States, "I've never seen anybody get kicked, punched, or sexually abused. Guys ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
Stress positions, Environmental manipulation, Hooding/Goggling
June 26, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2540
Sworn statement by a Command Sergeant Major. States that detainees have "generally been blindfolded, hooded, or both." States that sometimes detainees were not immediately given blankets or mats, but "the longest I've seen someone without a ...
July 01, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2541
Sworn statement by a senior interrogator located at Radwaniya Palace Complex (RPC) from May to September 2003. Discusses interrogation procedures at a Temporary Holding Facility, and states, "Once detainees arrive, they are searched, screened for ...
June 30, 2006
Interview (Statement)
Threat, Stress positions, Sleep deprivation
June 26, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2542
Sworn statement by an Administrative Specialist who has "guarded at the RPC facility about 4 times." States that "there's no indication that any detainees have been abused." Mentions that detainees are "handcuffed all the time in their cell." ...
June 26, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2543
Sworn statement by a PFC who has guarded at Abu Ghraib prison. Discusses detention procedures, and states, "I've never known a detainee to be denied lunch. They generally have in their cell water and a little snack.... Usually they have a ...
July 05, 2004 | DOA | ACLU-RDI 2544
Sworn statement by NCOIC of Interrogation Operations at Abu Ghraib Prison and responsible for screening detainee packets. States that only one detainee has "said anything to me about being beaten and coerced into doing anything."