Human rights group says Senate report confirms NC's involvement in 'torture flights'

A North Carolina human rights group said that the Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA's detention and interrogation program validates some of their claims about the involvement of a central North Carolina contractor in illegal torture.

North Carolina Stop Torture Now says at least 16 of the detainees named in the report were secretly transported by Aero Contractors aircraft, which was based in Smithfield and Kinston.

NCSTN previously alleged that Aero Contractors Ltd. provided planes and pilots to transport prisoners overseas from the Johnston County airport. Aero Contractors has previously denied any involvement in the flights.

In a news release, NCSTN called for the release of the full Senate torture report.

"We call for release of the full report to see if more information about survivors and flights is in it," Christina Cowger, NCSTN's coordinator, said in a statement. "We also call on federal and North Carolina authorities to immediately launch vigorous investigations into the illegal torture-related activities and conspiracies now established as taking place in North Carolina."