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Numerous governments and intelligence agencies manage covert prisons. These facilities, which officially don't exist, are safeguarded from human rights organizations and judicial scrutiny. Torture is often a routine practice in such prisons, where detainees endure harsh and dehumanizing conditions.
Several global governments go to great lengths to conceal the following covert detention centers. Some were shut down after being exposed, while others still persist in secrecy, with the governments involved outright denying their existence.
10. Salt Pit - Afghanistan
The Salt Pit is a covert CIA-operated prison located in Afghanistan. Established after the 9/11 attacks, it was designed to detain individuals suspected of terrorist affiliations. Torture was a regular occurrence at the Salt Pit, with prisoners enduring brutal and dehumanizing treatment, including mock executions.
Before being converted into a black site, the Salt Pit was a brick factory. The prison's cells are cramped, devoid of windows or toilets, and inmates are given only a bucket to relieve themselves. Prisoners are forced to sleep on cold concrete floors, stripped of clothing. Loud music is constantly played by CIA operatives as a form of psychological torment.
Dr. Ghairat Baheer, who was detained for six months, shared that CIA interrogators tied him to a chair and sat on his stomach. Another detainee, Gul Rahman, who later died in custody and remains the only confirmed fatality at the prison, endured even harsher abuse. He was stripped, chained by his hands above his head, and subjected to frequent beatings and cold water dousing.
Rahman passed away from hypothermia on the morning of November 20, 2002, while half-naked. The CIA did not return his body to his family or notify them of his death.
9. Camp 7 - Guantanamo Bay
While Guantanamo Bay is already notorious for its controversies, it also harbors its own concealed prisons, which are even more contentious. One such facility is Camp 7, constructed in a hidden location separate from the main prison. Camp 7 was so secretive that its existence remained unknown for two years after its opening in 2006, and those who knew of it never spoke out.
When Camp 7 was finally exposed, journalists were prohibited from visiting. The Red Cross was granted access, but only under the condition that it never publicly disclose what it observed. Camp 7 housed 15 detainees whom the CIA considered to be “high value,” including Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks.
The CIA has been accused of torturing prisoners at Camp 7. During a tribunal session, one detainee, Ramzi Bin al Shibh, reported that his cell was constantly vibrating and emitting strange sounds. The US military dismissed these allegations of psychological torment, claiming Shibh was merely imagining things.
In 2014, the Pentagon admitted that Shibh had indeed heard real noises, attributing them to the prison's deteriorating structure. The Pentagon stated that Camp 7 had been built as a temporary facility and requested $49 million and $69 million for repairs to its drainage and foundation. Congress declined to approve the funding.
8. Penny Lane - Guantanamo Bay
Penny Lane was another clandestine prison located at Guantanamo Bay. Established in 2003, the detainees there led a life of unexpected comfort. They resided in cottages that included a plush bed, kitchen, patio, shower, and television. They were even allowed to request extra luxuries, such as
The luxurious conditions at Penny Lane shouldn't come as much of a surprise. This facility was exclusively designated for confirmed terrorists being trained as double agents. After completing their training, they were released back to their terrorist groups, where they provided the CIA with valuable intelligence.
This intelligence was utilized to prepare drone strikes against key targets. In return, the CIA paid the terrorists millions of dollars. The program wasn't entirely successful, as some of the terrorists rejoined their groups without reporting back to the CIA.
Some became reluctant double agents after the CIA threatened harm to their families. Al-Qaeda, aware of the CIA’s attempts to recruit double agents from Guantanamo Bay detainees, grew wary of those released. The double agent program concluded in 2006.
7. The Resort - North Korea
The Resort serves as North Korea’s equivalent of Penny Lane. Unlike the latter, its inmates are not terrorists but individuals who have fallen out of favor with the regime, including blacklisted relatives and officials from the North Korean elite. It is not located on a secluded island, but near a town named Hyanghari, just 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Chinese border.
The Resort is thought to house around 1,000 people. The facility’s large population is partly due to the practice of prisoners bringing their families with them. While it is heavily guarded, it does not resemble a traditional prison, instead resembling a small town. Inmates rarely attempt to escape due to the relatively good living conditions. They do not engage in hard labor or face harsh punishment, and they receive free cooked meals every day.
Kim Song Ae is one of the people suspected to be detained at the Resort. She was once the second wife of the late leader Kim Il Sung. Another alleged prisoner is an aunt of the current leader Kim Jong Un, who is the wife of Jang Song Taek. After her husband’s execution in December 2013, she was reportedly taken to the Resort.
6. Cat’s Eye - Thailand
Also known as Detention Site Green, Cat’s Eye was a covert CIA prison located in Thailand. Its exact location remains a mystery, with some sources suggesting it is outside Bangkok, while others believe it to be in Udon Thani. Despite conflicting reports, it is agreed that the facility is in Thailand, though both the CIA and Thai authorities deny its existence.
Cat’s Eye was revealed in a 2014 US Senate report, which listed its location as “Country [REDACTED].”
The prison was hastily established in 2002 to detain Abu Zubaydah, a mujahideen fighter believed to be one of bin Laden’s lieutenants. Abu was captured in Pakistan in March 2002, and the CIA struggled to determine where to imprison him. They sought a location far from US jurisdiction and the Red Cross.
Abu suffered extensive torture at Cat’s Eye. For months, he was the only prisoner there, and his captors had ample time to subject him to various methods of abuse. He was kept in a small box, no larger than a coffin, and was repeatedly waterboarded until he lost consciousness. The CIA used him to trial several so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques,” a euphemism for torture.
The second prisoner held at Cat’s Eye was Abd al Rahim al-Nashiri, who arrived in November 2002. Both detainees were often slapped, stripped naked, and deprived of sleep. They were also subjected to a brutal punishment known as “walling,” where they were slammed against walls. Cat’s Eye was reportedly closed in December 2002, and the prisoners were transferred to another black site in Poland.
5. Temara Interrogation Center - Morocco
The Temara Interrogation Center was a covert prison operated jointly by the CIA and the Moroccan government. Located in Temara, near Rabat, the facility originally functioned as a CIA-run secret interrogation center after the September 11 attacks. However, the CIA soon transformed it into a prison. The Moroccan government later became involved, but their main interest was in detaining political prisoners.
Zakaria Moumni, a French-Moroccan citizen who was held there for four days for political reasons, claimed his Moroccan interrogators threatened him, saying he was in a slaughterhouse and would leave in pieces. Another detainee, Oussama Boutahar, who fought with a Bosnia-based Islamist militia in the 1990s and again in 2003, said the Moroccan authorities told him they were torturing him at the behest of the Americans.
A US Senate report disclosed that the CIA was aware of Morocco’s use of torture at the Temara facility. While the CIA lodged a complaint with the Moroccan intelligence agency, this only strained the relationship between the two. The CIA also considered abandoning the Temara site in favor of another prison but ultimately reversed its decision. Morocco, however, denies any allegations of torture.
4. Camp Lemonnier - Djibouti
Djibouti is a small nation located in the Horn of Africa, bordered by countries such as Somalia, which struggles with Al-Shabbab and piracy, and Yemen, which is currently engulfed in a devastating civil war.
The US established a military base in Djibouti due to its strategic position. This base, known as Camp Lemonnier, serves as a launch site for drone strikes targeting individuals in Somalia and Yemen.
There are unverified reports that suggest the CIA runs a secret prison at Camp Lemonnier. The US Congress is believed to have information regarding the existence of this facility, but it has refused to declassify it. Furthermore, Congress is reportedly aware that some of the prisoners held there are innocent.
Mohammed Abdullah Saleh Asad, an alleged detainee, claimed that he was tortured at this facility before being moved to another black site in Afghanistan, where he continued to endure torture.
Mahdi Hashi, another individual who is said to have been held at the prison, stated that he was kidnapped by CIA agents in Mogadishu, Somalia. He claimed that his detention was due to his refusal to work as a spy for British intelligence.
3. Black Jails - China
Black jails are covert, illegal detention centers run by various local and provincial authorities across China. These secret prisons operate outside the law, bypassing official procedures.
In China, citizens are expected to report any grievances to their local or provincial government. If they feel unheard, they are allowed to escalate their complaints to the central government in Beijing. The central government, in turn, uses the volume of reports to assess local and provincial effectiveness.
To prevent these citizens from reaching Beijing, local and provincial authorities employed over 10,000 individuals to track down, abduct, detain, and often torture individuals attempting to file reports. These black jails are typically set up in abandoned homes, psychiatric facilities, or guesthouses.
In 2009, it was believed that there were as many as 73 black jails operating within Beijing. The central government first denied their existence but later acknowledged their reality after further investigation.
2. Unnamed Prisons - Ukraine
From 2014 to 2016, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) operated a clandestine prison in Kharkiv. This facility was used to detain individuals suspected of supporting or sympathizing with Russia during its military actions in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea.
At the time, the SBU vehemently denied the existence of any secret prison, dismissing such claims as Russian propaganda. Although both the SBU and the Ukrainian military initiated separate investigations, these were later closed without any firm conclusions being drawn.
Mykola Vakaruk spent nearly 600 days in the secret prison, enduring repeated torture. Upon his arrival, one of his interrogators warned him that for every incorrect answer, he would be struck in the chest.
Vakaruk was subjected to constant beatings and kept in a 2-square-meter (22 ft) cell that was so freezing cold, water turned to ice. This mistreatment eventually led to the loss of his kidney. He was transferred to a hospital where surgery was performed to remove the damaged kidney, but was soon sent back to the prison. Under duress, he confessed to supporting the Russian-backed militants.
Vakaruk was released when Ukraine began a mass prisoner amnesty due to mounting pressure from human rights organizations. He was compensated with a mere 100 hryvnias ($3.80), and both he and his fellow detainees were warned never to reveal their ordeal to anyone.
The Kharkiv secret prison was one of several covert facilities managed by the SBU. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused the Ukrainian agency of running additional hidden prisons in Kramatorsk, Izium, and Mariupol. The Russian-backed forces were also accused of operating their own secret detention centers.
1. Unnamed Gay Prisons - Chechnya
Chechnya is a predominantly Muslim region in Russia that has fought multiple wars in a bid for independence. To put an end to the ongoing conflicts, Russia granted Chechnya autonomy. Today, the region is governed by Ramzan Kadyrov, who rules with minimal interference from Moscow.
Kadyrov stands accused of overseeing secret prisons where gay men are tortured to death. Both Russia and Chechnya are known for their intolerance toward homosexuality. While Russia has enacted laws to control the LGBT community, Chechnya goes further by abducting gay men and locking them away in hidden facilities, where they are subjected to relentless torture, often leading to death.
Several journalists who exposed the existence of these clandestine prisons in Chechnya have been killed. Novaya Gazeta, the first publication to cover the stories of abductions, detentions, and murders, has lost at least six journalists to assassination. Some reporters are still under threat, while others have been forced to flee the country.
