VOA标准英语2010年-Amnesty International Condemns Arrest

A Sudanese man holds three archive copies of 'Rai al-Shaab' newspaper which was confiscated¹, 16 May 2010.

Amnesty International has urged Sudanese authorities to end their crackdown on freedom of expression, following the arrest of four employees of an opposition² newspaper in a late night raid by security forces.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders is calling for the immediate³ release of three journalists and an employee of the daily newspaper Rai Al Shaab, who were detained late Saturday.  The four have yet to be charged with a crime

The head of the National Intelligence and Security Service, General Mohammed Atta, ordered the arrest.  The intelligence service also shut down the newspaper as Sunday's issue was going to print. 

London-based Amnesty International is urging the government to curb⁴ the wide-ranging authority of state security agents. 

The group says the arrests and the closure of the Rai Al Shaab newspaper are part of a nearly two-year campaign against media freedoms by the Sudanese government.

According to Amnesty International Sudan researcher Rania Rajji, the 2010 National Security Act passed last year has allowed the National Intelligence and Security Service to repress civil and political opposition with impunity⁵.

"National Security officers are provided for arresting people under this act for a total period for four months and a half without any judicial⁶ oversight⁷.  This has been the major source for human-rights violations⁸ in Sudan and for violations of civil and political rights.  This is why we are calling for reform on this act," Rajji said.

Sudan's Ministry⁹ of Information has accused Rai Al Shaab (Arabic for people's opinion) of publishing false information.  Rights groups say the government shuttered the paper this weekend in response to an article alleging¹⁰ Iran had constructed a weapons factory in the country.

The ruling National Congress Party has accused the opposition People's Congress Party of planting the report in order to damage relations between the Sudanese government and the United States.

The Rai Al-Shaab editor told the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists the newspaper's staff would file suit against the National Intelligence and Security Services to reopen the newspaper.
 

1 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

2 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。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

6 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。

7 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

10 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。