MEDIA ADVISORY North Carolina Stop Torture Now: www.ncstoptorturenow.org

For immediate release: January 30, 2009

For more information, call Allyson Caison (Johnston County, 919-961-4130), Christina Cowger (Raleigh, 919-637-7678), or Josh McIntyre (Raleigh, 919-834-4478)

JOHNSTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO BE ASKED TO ACT ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ORDERS AGAINST TORTURE

In keeping with President Obama’s January 22 orders putting an end to U.S. use of torture, North Carolina Stop Torture Now will conduct a vigil at 5:40 pm outside the site of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners meeting on Monday, February 2.

The Commissioners’ meeting begins at 6 pm at the Johnston County Courthouse Annex, 207 E. Johnston Street, Smithfield. At the meeting, we will request that the Board direct the Johnston County Airport Authority to sign an anti-rendition pledge. The pledge commits the Authority to investigate and prohibit the use of public facilities by Aero Contractors aircraft linked to disappearances, extraordinary rendition and subsequent torture of several known detainees (more information below). We are also asking the Commissioners to refer allegations of Aero Contractors’ criminal involvement in kidnapping and torture to County, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies.

In a January 29, 2009, memo to the Johnston County Airport Authority, county attorney Mark Payne stated, “As you know, a non-profit organization known as North Carolina Stop Torture Now has requested the Johnston County Airport take certain action including the adoption of a policy in opposition to actions sometimes referred to as ‘extraordinary rendition’ which the organization asserts has occurred involving aircraft operated by a commercial operator with privileges to use the Johnston County Airport. The request raises serious concerns. …

“Portions of the request by North Carolina Stop Torture Now,” Payne’s memo continues, “would have the Authority and airport staff engage in law enforcement investigation and other activities outside of its authority and, as such, are not the subject of this memorandum. However, some conduct, including alleged illegal activities, might permit limitations of airport ‘privileges’….”

“North Carolina Stop Torture Now welcomes the disavowal of torture and closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility by President Obama,” said NCSTN spokeswoman Christina Cowger. “This means state and local governments in North Carolina need to investigate whether their airports are still being used by ‘torture taxis.’”

A Smithfield-based company, Aero Contractors, has been linked to dozens of secret renditions to torture, including those of German citizen Khaled el-Masri, British legal resident Binyam Mohamed, and Yemeni citizen Khaled al-Maqtari (see below for more information). A Fayetteville-based company, Centurion Aviation, has also been linked to clandestine flights.

The Associated Press summarizes the three executive orders and one directive issued by President Obama regarding torture: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gVkHCC0G9SdsUWnUmq_3Gs...

Since 2005, NC Stop Torture Now has been advocating an investigation of extraordinary rendition, in particular the use of Aero Contractors and other private rendition contractors to circumvent national and international law.

For more information about specific renditions:

Khaled el-Masri: (http://www.aclu.org/safefree/extraordinaryrendition/22201res20051206.html

Binyam Mohamed: http://www.reprieve.org.uk/casework_binyammohammed.htm

Khaled al-Maqtari: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/feature-stories/former-detain...