Torture by Any Other Name

18 USC 2340A



Title 18 - Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I - Crimes

Chapter 113C - Torture



(a) Offense - Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to
commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more
than 20 years, or both, and if death results to any person from conduct
prohibited by this subsection, shall be punished by death or imprisoned
for any term of years or for life.

18 U.S. Code § 2340 - Definitions

As used in this chapter— 

 

(1)
“torture” means an act committed by a
person acting under the color of law specifically intended to inflict
severe physical or mental pain or suffering (other than pain or
suffering incidental to lawful sanctions) upon another person within his
custody or physical control;

(2)
“severe mental pain or suffering” means the prolonged mental harm caused by or resulting from— 

 

(A)
the intentional infliction or threatened infliction of severe physical pain or suffering; 

 

(B)
the administration or application, or
threatened administration or application, of mind-altering substances or
other procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the
personality; 

 

(C)
the threat of imminent death; or 

 

(D)
the threat that another person will
imminently be subjected to death, severe physical pain or suffering, or
the administration or application of mind-altering substances or other
procedures calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or personality;
and 

 

(3)
“United States” means the several States of
the United States, the District of Columbia, and the commonwealths,
territories, and possessions of the United States.