VOA标准英语2008年-Sudan Rejects ICC Darfur Crimes Prosecution

The chief prosecutor¹ of the International Criminal Court at The Hague Monday charged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with masterminding and implementing² the genocide of the last five years against the people of Darfur. Welcoming reaction from human rights groups and condemnation³ by the Sudanese government have been swift. From United Nations headquarters in New York, VOA's Margaret Besheer has more.
　
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, 14 Jul 2008

The court's chief prosecutor presented the three-judge panel with evidence charging President Bashir with responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and asked the court to issue an arrest warrant.

It could be months before the judges rule. But in the meantime, those in the human rights community say the charges are a big step forward in assigning responsibility for the crimes that have led to the deaths of some 300,000 people and the displacement⁴ of more than two million others.

Richard Dicker is the director of the International Justice Program at Human Rights Watch in New York.

"My reaction is, it is a very big step, a very important step, in ending the impunity⁵ for the horrific crimes that have occurred in Darfur since 2003," said Richard Dicker. "I think requesting a warrant for the head of state - the president of Sudan - sends the message that no one is above or beyond the law for crimes that have occurred there."

Niemat Ahmadi is an activist⁶ with the Save Darfur Coalition⁷ in the United States. She fled Darfur in 2005 after two assassination⁸ attempts. Ahmadi welcomed the ICC's announcement saying it sends a message of hope to the people of Darfur.

"I think it is a very important step for the people of Darfur, that they feel for the first time that there is hope; there is a serious step toward ending their suffering," said Niemat Ahmadi.

In 2005, the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution [1593] referring the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court in The Hague and ordering the Sudanese government to cooperate with the court.

Khartoum has refused to comply with the prosecutor's earlier request that it hand over two other suspects, and Sudan's U.N. envoy⁹, Abdalhmahmood Mohamad, said Monday that position has not changed, calling the charges "politically motivated."

"We don't recognize the authority of the ICC," said Abdalhmahmood Mohamad. "We will never cooperate with the ICC. We will never hand over to the ICC suspects, let alone the president, which is a symbol of our dignity and our authority. This is why we consider this move as an affront¹⁰ and insult to the dignity of the entire Sudanese nation."

Ambassador Mohamad said his government has already started consulting with U.N. Security Council members about suspending the charges for one year - a power the council has under the treaty that created the ICC.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who is in Paris, issued a statement saying the United Nations would continue its peacekeeping operations in Sudan, where it has more than 40,000 peacekeepers, humanitarian¹¹ workers and staff.

Some observers have raised concerns that the charges could lead to retaliatory¹² acts against U.N. personnel, particularly after an attack last week on U.N. peacekeepers in Darfur that killed seven. Mr. Ban said he expects Khartoum to fulfill¹³ its obligation to ensure the safety and security of all U.N. personnel and property.

Khaled Mansour, the spokesman for the U.N. Mission in Sudan, told VOA Monday that some precautionary measures have been taken in Darfur and throughout the rest of Sudan that could entail¹⁴ the relocation of non-essential staff, but that none had been relocated yet. He said the U.N. would continue to deal with President Bashir as normal.

"We will deal, and we always deal with government officials, as long as it is critical for our functions and programs in that country," said Khaled Mansour. "Let us make one thing clear. What we have here is an application for an indictment¹⁵ and all people should be innocent until proven guilty."

Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch says Sudan has an obligation to facilitate peacekeeping and the delivery of humanitarian assistance, and Monday's charges should not in any way affect that responsibility. He added that any retaliatory violence could result in new criminal charges.

　

 

1 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

2 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

3 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

4 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

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 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。

7 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

9 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

10 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

11 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

12 retaliatory   

adj.报复的

参考例句：

• The process can take years before the WTO approves retaliatory action. 在WTO通过此行动之前，这个程序恐怕要等上一阵子了。 来自互联网
• Retaliatory tariffs on China are tantamount to taxing ourselves as a punishment. 将惩罚性关税强加于中国相当于对我们自己实施课税惩罚。 来自互联网

13 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

14 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

15 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。