VOA常速英语2008年-Egyptian Newspaper Editor Sentenced to Jail

By Aya Batrawy
Cairo
26 March 2008

An Egyptian court has sentenced the editor of one of Egypt's leading opposition¹ newspapers to six months in jail for publishing an article containing statements about Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's health. Aya Batrawy has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

Newspaper editor Ibrahim Eissa was sentenced Wednesday by an Egyptian court to six months hard labor² in jail for publishing an article last year about health problems facing Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak.

He was found guilty of damaging the national economy, although bankers have said it was difficult to link the drop in foreign investment at the time to the articles that were published.

Central Bank officials testified in court that investments of up to $350 million left the country on the days that Al-Dustour published the reports on the president's health.

Publishing news about the health of the 79-year-old president, in power for more than 26 years, is risky³ in Egypt.

Last year, Eissa was sentenced along with three other newspaper editors to a year in prison in a separate case for defaming Mr. Mubarak and his ruling National Democratic party. That trial also concerned newspaper articles about the president's health.

Eissa is one of the president's most outspoken⁴ critics. He has had run-ins with Egyptian authorities in the past. The paper was shut down for nearly seven years at one point.

The editor says the latest sentence sheds light on the limits to press freedom in Egypt.

He says Wednesday's verdict proves that Mr. Mubarak's government crushes the international right to freedom of expression. He says Mr. Mubarak is telling the world he is not concerned with international law.

Gasser Abdel-Razek, of New-York based Human Rights Watch, says the arrests of journalists will have a chilling effect and lead to self-censorship among Egyptian writers and reporters.

"Just a month ago Al-Jazeera reporter was fined 20,000 Egyptian pounds for producing a report on torture. Definitely Eissa's ruling today is adding to an already restrictive and scary atmosphere for reporters and writers in Egypt," said Abdel-Razek.

Eissa has been out on bail⁵ since the trial began in September and has continued working throughout the trial.

1 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。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

4 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

5 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。