VOA标准英语2009年-Niger Media Defamation Trial Begins

By Kate Thomas
Dakar
29 September 2009

The trial of a journalist imprisoned¹ on defamation² charges has begun today in Niger.

Ibrahim Soumana Gaoh, the director of news weekly Le Temoin, or The Witness, was arrested on Sunday in the capital Niamey.

He is charged in connection with an article published on September 14, which implicated³ Niger's minister of communications in a financial scandal.

The article hinted that Mohamed Ben Omar was involved in a corruption⁴ scandal surrounding the privatization of the country's biggest telecoms company in 2001.

Gaoh been held at the city's central prison since his arrest at the weekend. If convicted, he could face a lengthy⁵ jail sentence.

Mohammed Keita of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says he is worried about the freedom of the press in Niger.

"CPJ is extremely concerned about the unrelenting criminal prosecution⁶ of journalists investigating or reporting corruption and government mismanagement in Niger," he sais. "Ibrahim Soumana Gaoh happens to be the second journalist now in prison for reporting critically on government affairs."

Last month a constitutional amendment⁸ was passed in the West African country, which straddles the Sahara desert. It allows President Mamadou Tanjda to run for re-election for the rest of his life. It also permits him to tighten⁹ his grip on the country's independent press.

Keita says Gaoh is the second journalist to be imprisoned in Niger in recent months.

"The president has essentially¹⁰ tightened¹¹ his grip on the press," he added. "The controversial constitutional amendment that was passed last month contained a provision that allowed the president to handpick the media regulators of the country, and this media regulator has the power to suspend media outlets¹². We've seen a crackdown on the press in the lead-up to the referendum where the president was - through this body - essentially silencing media outlets that were critical of his bid to amend⁷ the constitution."

In August Abdoulaye Tiémogo was sentenced to three months in prison for criticizing an arrest warrant.

Criminal libel accusations¹³ hang over at least three other journalists in Niger.

 

1 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。

2 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

3 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

6 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

7 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

8 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

9 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

10 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

11 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

12 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。