美国国家公共电台 NPR--Iran to hold trials for protesters arrested in demonstrations that began last month

Iran to hold trials for protesters arrested in demonstrations¹ that began last month

Transcript²

The Iranian government is promising³ swift and harsh action against the more than 1,000 protesters arrested since demonstrations began last month.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In a bid to quell⁴ protests, Iran is bringing hundreds of people to Iran's version of justice. Security forces have arrested many people who marched after the death of Mahsa Amini, while in the custody⁵ of Iran's so-called morality police. Now trials are beginning, although with much less visibility than trials would receive elsewhere. Tara Sepehri Far is gathering⁶ what information she can by tracking the fates of defendants⁷ for Human Rights Watch.

TARA SEPEHRI FAR: They're facing charges that range from disrupting public order to a very serious charge of corruption⁸ on earth that could carry the death penalty.

INSKEEP: Corruption on earth - what is that?

SEPEHRI FAR: As you can probably already tell, it's a vaguely¹⁰ defined charge in Iran's penal⁹ code. The way authorities have described it in relation to the protest is actions such as using weapons or widespread use of violence and destruction of public and government properties. But it is still very unclear what evidence they use against protesters, and these charges are vaguely defined, and those who face these charges are not going to get a fair trial and have already been deprived of their due process rights.

INSKEEP: When I think of Iran as a theocracy¹¹ and think of the phrase corruption on earth, I'm tempted¹² to think this is cast somehow as a violation¹³ of Islam. Is that the origin of this charge?

SEPEHRI FAR: Correct. But Iran has codified¹⁴ Islamic principles into their civil code system. There's a long track record of intelligence and judicial¹⁵ authorities interpreting these vaguely defined national security rights in favor of protecting the state and, actually, more than the state, the authorities themselves.

INSKEEP: Are these trials public?

SEPEHRI FAR: To some extent, yes, which means there's access, that there are reportings about them through official media, but it's not the kind of public trial you would imagine. For instance, the - one of the people who has been charged with corruption on earth was deprived of access to the lawyer of his choice. That's what the lawyer has said publicly. And apparently¹⁶, his family also was not allowed to be present during the trial. Independent media does not have access to those who are accused, cannot independently report or interview anyone. It's basically an opportunity for authorities to put on stage their narrative¹⁷ through these public indictments¹⁸, including statements made by the prosecutor¹⁹, the judge and so on and so forth²⁰.

INSKEEP: Do you have any idea how many people are on trial or are soon to be on trial?

SEPEHRI FAR: Well, authorities have thrown out some numbers. The spokesperson has mentioned that something about a thousand indictments has been issued by courts in Tehran province. And on top of that, we have hundreds of human rights defenders²¹, journalists, student activists²², labor²³ activists, lawyers, who've been arrested by intelligence authorities, mostly outside these protests. We're also expecting them to be put on trial and be struck by additional charges or prison sentences.

INSKEEP: Oh, so as far as you can tell, the arrests have gone far beyond the individuals who may have been caught on this or that street.

SEPEHRI FAR: Exactly. Actually, two of the main people - we're very concerned about them - are the two journalists who contributed to the reporting of the death of Mahsa Jina Amini in the custody of Iranian police. Obviously, what they were doing was purely²⁴ their journalistic job. Their names was brought up in a statement issued by the two main intelligence agencies in Iran as those operating in collaboration²⁵ with foreign entities²⁶. And we're extremely concerned about their safety. Their names are Elahe Mohammadi and Niloofar Hamedi.

INSKEEP: I'm thinking about the people who protested and were arrested, and I'd like to know if you feel that it advances their cause in some way to be arrested. I should clarify what I mean. Many times in the United States and elsewhere, people will say, I'm going to be free, I'm going to live my life the way I'm determined²⁷ to do it, and if you want to arrest me, it's going to be on you, and it's going to clog²⁸ your court system. Do you think there are some people who feel they're advancing their cause by being put on trial in this way?

SEPEHRI FAR: People are taking these grave risks to their safety because they want to make a point. And every action that the government is doing in order to, quote-unquote, "repress" these protests is actually recentering some of the main demands of the protest, which has been about accountability and fundamental change of the behavior of the system that has been very autocratic and without any regard for rule of law and democratic norms.

INSKEEP: Do these trials, in your view, then demonstrate the very point the protesters are making?

SEPEHRI FAR: Exactly. And there's a long history of Iranian authorities using these trials for making their points. And yet we have only seen protests intensifying³⁰ over the past decade, not going away, and the calls are becoming more progressive and more radical³¹, not less.

INSKEEP: Needless to say, the Islamic Republic of Iran has lasted more than 40 years at this point and has endured any number of protests over the years and has a very strong national security state. Do you think that the government can use law enforcement to end these protests? Their version of law enforcement, I should say.

SEPEHRI FAR: It appears that one of the very few areas of the establishment that's still working and has a lot more capacity is their security apparatus³². Sadly, I don't think they would hesitate to intensify²⁹ the already brutal³³ crackdown. But what I know is that regardless of where the protests go and if they are repressed or not in near future, they have changed the conversation inside the country and outside, and they have made a very clear point that what they want and what they demand is supported by large number of people domestically. Where the system is going to go with this, even if they manage to repress the protest, is unclear to me.

INSKEEP: Tara Sepehri Far researches human rights abuses in Iran for Human Rights Watch. Thanks so much.

SEPEHRI FAR: Thank you for having me.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

5 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 penal   

adj.刑罚的；刑法上的

参考例句：

• I hope you're familiar with penal code.我希望你们熟悉本州法律规则。
• He underwent nineteen years of penal servitude for theft.他因犯了大窃案受过十九年的苦刑。

10 vaguely   

adv.含糊地，暖昧地

参考例句：

• He had talked vaguely of going to work abroad.他含糊其词地说了到国外工作的事。
• He looked vaguely before him with unseeing eyes.他迷迷糊糊的望着前面，对一切都视而不见。

11 theocracy   

n.神权政治；僧侣政治

参考例句：

• Shangzhou was an important period for the formation and development of theocracy.商周时期是神权政治形成与发展的重要阶段。
• The Muslim brothers look as if they will opt for civil society rather than theocracy.穆斯林兄弟看起来好像更适合文明的社会，而非神权统治。

12 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

13 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

14 codified   

v.把（法律）编成法典( codify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• In the meantime, however, Kennecott had been codified elsewhere in the Act. 然而，“肯尼考特”一案已被编人法案。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Congress has since codified this holding. 从那时以来，国会编纂整理了最高法院的这一裁定。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

15 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。

16 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

17 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

18 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

19 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

20 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

21 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 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》

23 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

24 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

25 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

26 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

27 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

28 clog   

vt.塞满，阻塞；n.[常pl.]木屐

参考例句：

• In cotton and wool processing,short length fibers may clog sewers.在棉毛生产中，短纤维可能堵塞下水管道。
• These streets often clog during the rush hour.这几条大街在交通高峰时间常常发生交通堵塞。

29 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

30 intensifying   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的现在分词 )；增辉

参考例句：

• The allies are intensifying their air campaign. 联军部队正加大他们的空战强度。 来自辞典例句
• The rest of the European powers were in a state of intensifying congestion. 其余的欧洲强国则处于越来越拥挤的状态。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史

31 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

32 apparatus   

n.装置，器械；器具，设备

参考例句：

• The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
• They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。

33 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。