2006年VOA标准英语-Detained Nigerian Journalists Out on Bail

By Gilbert Da Costa
Abuja
29 June 2006

Two Nigerian journalists arrested for a story on a presidential aircraft have been released on bail¹ by a court in Abuja Thursday.

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The federal high court in Abuja has ordered the release of the two journalists on a $4,000 bail each. The trial was subsequently adjourned² and will resume next month.

Lead defense³ counsel, Femi Falana, had argued that the sedition⁴ charge brought against them was illegal and unconstitutional, and asked the court to release the men on bail.

"For any government, particularly a democratically elected government, to use such a dead law to harass⁵ journalists, for me, it's a sad development," said Falana.  "We are going to move very speedily to challenge the constitutionality of the charge and ask the judge to throw out the case."

The two reporters were charged with sedition on Tuesday over stories critical of a new presidential jet.

Gbenga Aruleba, of African Independent Television, and Rotimi Durojaiye of the Independent newspaper, face two years in jail if convicted.

The two men had been in the custody⁶ of the State Security service, the secret police force, since their arrest on Monday.

Ndagane Aku, president of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the umbrella body for journalists in Nigeria, told VOA the union was concerned over the harassment⁷ of journalists by security agencies.

"What we object to is not our people being tried but the way they are hounded and treated like common criminals," said Aku. "So we are surprised by what is happening. This cannot intimidate⁸ us in any form."

Some of Nigeria's leading human rights lawyers were in crowded court as part of a large defense team. Several opposition⁹ leaders were also in court as a mark of solidarity¹⁰ with the journalists.

1 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。

2 adjourned   

（使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court adjourned for lunch. 午餐时间法庭休庭。
• The trial was adjourned following the presentation of new evidence to the court. 新证据呈到庭上后，审讯就宣告暂停。

3 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。

4 sedition   

n.煽动叛乱

参考例句：

• Government officials charged him with sedition.政府官员指控他煽动人们造反。
• His denial of sedition was a denial of violence.他对煽动叛乱的否定又是对暴力的否定。

5 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

6 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

7 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

8 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

9 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。

10 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。