VOA标准英语--俄罗斯释放政治犯和宗教囚犯

Russia, Release Political and Religious Prisoners

The United States has called on the Russian Government to immediately release all political and religious prisoners.

In a written statement, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said the United States is “deeply concerned over the growing number of individuals – now more than 150 – identified by credible¹ human rights organizations as political and religious prisoners held by the Government of the Russian Federation².”

Ms. Nauert voiced particular concern over the welfare of four Ukrainians “unjustly imprisoned³ who are currently on hunger strike.” All four had expressed opposition⁴ to Russia's purported⁵ annexation⁶ of Crimea or had otherwise supported Ukrainian identity or sovereignty.

The four Ukrainian prisoners are filmmaker Oleh Sentsov, serving a 20-year sentence in a remote penal⁷ colony above the Arctic Circle; Stanislav Klykh, also sentenced to 20 years in prison and who suffers from serious mental health problems after allegedly being subjected to severe torture; Oleksandr Shumkov, one of several imprisoned Ukrainians apparently⁸ abducted⁹ by Russia or lured¹⁰ into traveling there on false pretenses¹¹; and Volodymyr Balukh, who was imprisoned in retaliation¹² for flying the Ukrainian flag in Russian-occupied Crimea.

In addition, Spokesperson Nauert said the United States is “troubled by the case of Oyub Titiyev, a human rights activist¹³ prosecuted¹⁴ on trumped–up drug charges in Chechnya, whose pre-trial detention¹⁵ was recently extended.”

Ms. Nauert also deplored¹⁶ the detention of religious prisoners in Russia, including Jehovah's Witness Dennis Christensen, who is one of 20 Jehovah's witnesses detained by Russian authorities since May 2017 in retaliation for their peaceful religious practice; five church of Scientology leaders subjected to detention without trial since June 2017; and more than a dozen Muslim followers¹⁷ of Turkish theologian Said Nursi.

“We call on Russia to release all those identified as political or religious prisoners immediately and cease its use of the legal system to suppress dissent¹⁸ and peaceful religious practice,” State Department Spokesperson Nauert said. “The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve equal treatment under the law and the ability to exercise their rights without fear of retribution.”

1 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？

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 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。

4 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。

5 purported   

adj.传说的，谣传的v.声称是…，（装得）像是…的样子( purport的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• the scene of the purported crime 传闻中的罪案发生地点
• The film purported to represent the lives of ordinary people. 这部影片声称旨在表现普通人的生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 annexation   

n.吞并，合并

参考例句：

• He mentioned the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910 .他提及1910年日本对朝鲜的吞并。
• I regard the question of annexation as belonging exclusively to the United States and Texas.我认为合并的问题，完全属于德克萨斯和美国之间的事。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

11 pretenses   

n.借口（pretense的复数形式）

参考例句：

• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism. 他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He obtained money from her under false pretenses. 他巧立名目从她那儿骗钱。 来自辞典例句

12 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

15 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。

16 deplored   

v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They deplored the price of motor car, textiles, wheat, and oil. 他们悲叹汽车、纺织品、小麦和石油的价格。 来自辞典例句
• Hawthorne feels that all excess is to be deplored. 霍桑觉得一切过分的举动都是可悲的。 来自辞典例句

17 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

18 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。