EU Blocks Release of Afghan Documentary

 　　The European Union has sparked controversy¹ by deciding not to release a documentary on women prisoners in Afghanistan. Exploring the phenomenon of "moral crimes," the film underscores the harsh realities facing Afghan women, despite legislation to protect their rights.

　　Commissioned by the European Union, the documentary tells the harrowing stories of two women locked in Afghanistan's jails for so-called "moral crimes." According to reports, one is a rape² victim. Another ran away from a husband who beat her.

　　But the EU has not released the documentary. The Associated Press news agency cites an email sent by an EU official raising concerns about the women's safety, but also about Europe's relations with Afghan justice institutions.

　　Michael Mann, chief spokesman for European foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, rejects suggestions that politics played a role. The only worry, he says, is that the women portrayed³ in the documentary are protected.

　　"Any suggestion that I've read where somehow [we're] trying to prevent the plight⁴ of women reaching the public domain⁵ is absolute nonsense, that's the whole idea of us commissioning the film in the first place, we want to draw attention to the plight of these women," said Mann.

　　Several hundred women are currently jailed for moral crimes, according to Human Rights Watch's Heather Barr, who is interviewing a number of them for an upcoming report. The rights group won't comment on the controversy. But Barr says the stories in the EU documentary are all too common.

　　"What you see when you talk with women who are in prison for what are called moral crimes here is that some of them have been accused of running away from home, which as I said is not even a crime under Afghan law, and some of them have been accused of zina, which is an act of sex between two people who aren't married to each other," said Barr.

　　Despite recent legislation making violence and rape against women illegal, Barr says the number of women imprisoned⁶ for moral crimes has actually gone up.

　　Equally worrying is what happens to them when they're set free.

　　"Quite a few of them feel like they're going to be forced back into the abusive situation that they escaped from and some have said very clearly that they expect their families are likely to kill them, because they've brought shame on their families by ending up in prison."

　　Afghanistan will be in the international spotlight⁷ early next month, when Germany hosts a conference on the country's future. Barr says Afghan women's rights activists⁸ have been pushing for their own speaking slot at the meeting, so far, with no success.

　　"So I think we're going to see a conference that really sidelines women," said Barr. "And a conference where the fact that there are still hundreds of women in prison, basically for being victims of domestic violence, is really not going to be an issue which anyone is interested in discussing."

　　But Mann of the European Union, says the EU, for one, is committed to pushing for judicial⁹ reform in Afghanistan and for greater women's rights.

　　"We're very big supporters of human rights in the European Union and we believe these women should have equal human rights as everyone in society," said Mann. "And that's the message we want to get across."

　　Mann says the EU is currently looking for ways to release the documentary, while protecting the women prisoners who are featured in it.

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 domain   

n.(活动等)领域，范围；领地，势力范围

参考例句：

• This information should be in the public domain.这一消息应该为公众所知。
• This question comes into the domain of philosophy.这一问题属于哲学范畴。

6 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

7 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。