2007年VOA标准英语-Press Watchdog: Eritrean Government Caused Play

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
08 February 2007

An international press watchdog Thursday accused the Eritrean government of being responsible for the death of a playwright¹ who had been in detention² for several years, a charge the government denies. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Fessehaye 'Joshua' Yohannes

Fessehaye Yohannes, nicknamed "Joshua," was a poet, playwright and journalist who was detained in 2001 with almost a dozen other journalists and many members of the political opposition³.

According to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, Joshua died on January 11 in a prison camp in northern Eritrea after having been tortured.

"We have received from at least three different sources that don't know each other this very, very sad information about Joshua that says that, after having been treated several times in different hospitals in Asmara, he was taken back to Eiraeiro where he died of the very extremely harsh and dreadful conditions of detention in this facility," said Reporters Without Borders' Leonard Vincent.

The press watchdog's statement called on the Eritrean government to hand Joshua's body over to his family or prove that he is still alive. The watchdog also wants the government to account for three other journalists who were reportedly killed in detention.

Eritrean presidential spokesman Yemane Gebremeskel rejects Reporters Without Borders' statement.

"In the first place, I don't know the person you're talking about," he said.  "In the second place, people are imprisoned⁴ if they commit an offense⁵ of whatever type, but there is no torture - the government does not practice torture."

Yemane says Reporters Without Borders has been conducting a "smear⁶ campaign" against Eritrea for unknown reasons.

In its press freedom report of 2006, Reporters Without Borders named Eritrea as being among the worst violators of press freedom in the world.

The report says there are more than 100 political prisoners in jail, with at least 13 journalists being locked up without having access to their lawyers or families.

In 2001, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki suspended independent press in his country and launched a security operation to arrest influential⁷ members of the private media who appealed for democratic reforms in the young country.

Several years ago, a Voice of America reporter was arrested and jailed in Eritrea, because of a report he filed for VOA. He has since been released.

The government denies that there is a lack of press freedom in the country.

1 playwright   

n.剧作家，编写剧本的人

参考例句：

• Gwyn Thomas was a famous playwright.格温·托马斯是著名的剧作家。
• The playwright was slaughtered by the press.这位剧作家受到新闻界的无情批判。

2 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 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。

5 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

6 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

7 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。