2007年VOA标准英语-Leader of Croatian Serbs Sentenced to 35 Years

By Lauren Comiteau
Amsterdam
12 June 2007

A former Croatian Serb rebel leader has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for the murder, torture and persecution¹ of non-Serbs in Croatia, in the early 1990s. Milan Martic was a leader of the ethnic² Serbs in the Krajina region of Croatia, as they set up their own republic during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He was the first Krajina leader to stand trial at the Hague-based War Crimes Tribunal. Lauren Comiteau has been following the verdict and files this report from Amsterdam.

Former rebel Croatian Serb leader Milan Martic attends a session of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, 12 June 2007

Milan Martic stood calmly and without emotion as Judge Bakone Moloto handed down his sentence.

"The trial chamber³ sentences you to a single sentence of 35 years of imprisonment," he said. "Pursuant to rule 101c of the rules, you are entitled to credit for time spent in detention⁴, which as of the date of this judgment⁵, amounts to 1,855 days."

Martic surrendered to the tribunal five years ago. However, judges gave that little weight when determining his sentence, saying he was on the run for seven years before turning himself in to authorities.

What judges say they did take into consideration was that Martic's crimes were committed mostly against elderly people - those in detention - and civilians⁶ and that virtually the entire non-Serb population was expelled from the area he controlled. Martic was also found guilty of ordering the 1995 rocket attacks on downtown Zagreb - the capital of Croatia - in which seven people were killed and more than 200 others wounded. Judges noted⁷ the "horrific injuries" and "serious suffering" to the city's residents, as a result of what they said were "indiscriminate attacks" that Martic admitting to ordering. Prosecutors⁸ say they are happy with the sentence, which is heavy by tribunal standards.

Throughout his 14-month trial, Martic maintained his innocence⁹, saying he was protecting all the people of Serb Krajina, no matter where they came from. But prosecutors said - and now judges confirm - he was part of a joint¹⁰ criminal enterprise along with former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic.

Prosecutors say the leadership was planning to create a greater Serbia, which they are said to have attempted to do through a brutal¹¹ ethnic cleansing¹² campaign aimed at Croats and other non-Serbs who lived in the territories they wanted. Croatia gained back the Krajina, after a military offensive in 1995. The Croatian leaders of that offensive are now awaiting trial in The Hague.

1 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

2 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

3 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

4 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。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

9 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 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。

12 cleansing   

n. 净化(垃圾) adj. 清洁用的 动词cleanse的现在分词

参考例句：

• medicated cleansing pads for sensitive skin 敏感皮肤药物清洗棉
• Soap is not the only cleansing agent. 肥皂并不是唯一的清洁剂。