VOA标准英语2009年-Lawyers Want Charges Dropped Against Zimbabwe A

Lawyers for seven people charged with bombing state property are demanding charges be dropped against their clients. The seven are among 30 rights activists² and opposition³ party members detained in recent weeks in what the opposition calls a crackdown on dissent⁴.
　

Zimbabwean human rights activists are led into court in Harare on Dec 24 2008

Lawyer Alex Muchadahama went to court to claim the state has no case against his clients and charges against them should be dropped.

His seven clients, including the Movement for Democratic Change's security director Chris Dlamini and party leader Morgan Tsvangirai's former personal assistant Ghandi Mudzingwa, were accused Wednesday in Harare High Court of planting two small bombs at police stations, and one at a bridge following elections last year.

The seven were charged with terrorism, banditry and insurgency⁵, and could face the death penalty if convicted.

Muchadahama told the court the charges were "ridiculous and scandalous." He told the court the state has no credible⁶ evidence against them to warrant them being held and said all seven were tortured when they were arrested.

These seven are the first of about 30 people who disappeared or were abducted⁷ late last year to be charged in a court of law. There are another 10 who have made statements to the police, but still have not appeared in court, and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said they believe at least another 13 people are in police stations somewhere around Harare.
　

Beatrice Mtetwa (file photo)

Lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa, who is defending human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko, said she has been granted a hearing by Zimbabwe's constitutional court Monday to determine if her client's case can be heard as an urgent matter.

Mtetwa has argued that Mukoko's constitutional rights have been badly abused. She said Mukuko was not arrested with a warrant, but kidnapped from her home, and was mistreated in custody⁸. She said her client has been denied access to her lawyers and refused permission to be examined by her own doctors.
　

Zimbabwean human rights activist1 Jestina Mukoko arrives at magistrate's court in Harare, 24 Dec 2008

Mukoko was accused by police of being part of a plot to recruit people for military training in Botswana to overthrow⁹ President Robert Mugabe.

The High Court ordered Mukoko and eight others be taken to a hospital on Christmas Eve, but the police defied that order. The High Court also demanded the rest of the group be released from police cells immediately, saying their detention¹⁰ was illegal.

Lawyers say they believe the police have video confessions¹¹ made shortly after those being held were abducted and that those confessions were made under duress¹².

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 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》

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 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

5 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

7 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

8 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。

9 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

10 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。

11 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 duress   

n.胁迫

参考例句：

• He claimed that he signed the confession under duress.他说他是被迫在认罪书上签字的。
• These unequal treaties were made under duress.这些不平等条约是在强迫下签订的。