2007年VOA标准英语-Two Former Yugoslav Army Officers Sentenced for

By Lauren Comiteau
Amsterdam
27 September 2007

Judges at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal have convicted two former Yugoslav army officers for their role in the 1991 murders of non-Serbs in the Croatian city of Vukovar. They acquitted¹ a third former officer of the massacres². For VOA, Lauren Comiteau has more from Amsterdam.

The three former Yugoslav army officers were charged for their roles in one of the worst atrocities³ of the war when hundreds of Croatians and non-Serbs were taken away from Vukovar's hospital, tortured, shot at close range, and then buried in a mass grave.

The judges found there was no conspiracy⁴ as prosecutors⁵ alleged⁶ between Mile Mrksic, Miroslav Radic, and Veselin Slijvancanin to commit the murders.

They also lowered the number of victims to only the 194 who have been positively⁷ identified from the mass grave on the site, and not the 264 prosecutors alleged.

Judges then ruled that because the victims were thought to be prisoners of war and not civilians⁸, the crimes cannot be considered crimes against humanity but only war crimes.

The tribunal ruled it was local Serb forces and paramillitaries who committed the murders. The three accused, they said, had no control over them, only over the Yugoslav police who were too few in number and too ineffective to prevent the murders.

Presiding Judge Kevin Parker read out the verdict for Mrksic.

"By ordering the JNA military police to withdraw from Ovcara when he knew of the high risk to the prisoners of war of serious violence and death at the hands of territorial⁹ defense¹⁰ and paramilitary forces, Mile Mrksic aided and abetted¹¹ the murders that were committed as a consequence of his order for withdrawal," he said..

Mrksic was given the stiffest sentence of 20 years.

Slijvancinin, they say, failed to prevent the torture of the prisoners, and he was sentenced to five years for aiding and abetting¹². The judges ruled Radic had no reason to know of the murders and set him free.

The verdict is a huge blow to prosecutors, who had asked for life sentences for the so-called Vukovar 3.

The tribunal also upheld an appeal of three Kosovo Albanians. The acquittal of two former KLA commanders - Fatmir Limaj and Isak Musliu - was also upheld. And, the 13-year sentence given to a KLA commander and camp guard, Haradin Bala, for murder, torture, and cruelty against Serbs or their perceived Albanian supporters was also upheld.

1 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

2 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

3 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

5 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。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

8 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。

9 territorial   

adj.领土的，领地的

参考例句：

• The country is fighting to preserve its territorial integrity.该国在为保持领土的完整而进行斗争。
• They were not allowed to fish in our territorial waters.不允许他们在我国领海捕鱼。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 abetted   

v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的过去式和过去分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持

参考例句：

• He was abetted in the deception by his wife. 他行骗是受了妻子的怂恿。
• They aided and abetted in getting the police to catch the thief. 他们协助警察抓住了小偷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 abetting   

v.教唆（犯罪）( abet的现在分词 )；煽动；怂恿；支持

参考例句：

• On Earth, unknowingly abetting a criminal doesn't merit this kind of punishment. 在地球上，不知不觉地帮助罪犯并不构成这种惩罚。 来自电影对白
• "By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder." 援助和唆使谋杀的塔利班政权与杀人犯同罪。 来自互联网