A bill geared towards ending North Carolina’s involvement in acts of torture was filed on Thursday, April 12, 2019 in the North Carolina House of Representatives. HB 740 is called “Ending NC’s Involvement in Torture.”
The bill has three primary sponsors: Democratic Representatives Verla Insko, Pricey Harrison and Graig Meyer. The 18 co-sponsors represent districts in 14 counties across North Carolina, from Buncombe to Wayne to Cumberland, New Hanover, and Robeson.
Torture goes against international laws as defined in the United Nations Convention Against Torture. A such, this bill not only advances human rights on a national level, but also globally.
In summary, Bill HB 740 seeks to:
Reinforce legal scholars’ view that North Carolina has jurisdiction over these crimes if the conspiracy to carry them out occurred within the state.
Make torture and enforced disappearance felony crimes.
Provide the North Carolina Attorney General the authority to convene a grand jury to investigate such crimes.
Require airports in the state to provide 10 days’ notice to the NC Department of Justice before federal detainees are transported.
Prohibit the state from funding airports that have not established and implemented policies that prohibit the use of their facilities for abduction and extrajudicial transfers.
Prohibit the state from funding vendors convicted of violating federal and international laws concerning abduction and extrajudicial transfers.
In the coming weeks, a press conference will be held to discuss the bill and why it is necessary. Passage of the bill would be a triumph for all who have been victims of Aero Contractors’ role in aiding the CIA to carry out enforced disappearance and torture. It would also serve as a win for international laws, which serve as the bedrock for the advancement of human rights across the world.