2007年VOA标准英语-Zimbabwean Politician Challenges Travel Ban in

By Tendai Maphosa
London
24 August 2007

Aguy Georgias, an official in the Zimbabwean government, is challenging a European Union travel ban imposed on him and other ranking members of Zimbabwe's government and ruling party. From London, Tendai Maphosa reports for VOA that the case is being considered by Britain's High Court .

Aguy Georgias, deputy minister of economic development, is on a list of some 150 members of President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party and government who cannot travel to the European Union and the United States. The European Union and the United States imposed the ban for alleged¹ human rights abuses committed against critics of the government.

Georgias, who claims he is the holder² of valid³ visas to both the United Kingdom and the United States, says he was denied passage through the United Kingdom on his way to the United States. In addition to challenging the travel ban, he is suing the British government for detaining him under conditions that made it impossible for him to take medication he needed.

"I was unfairly treated, I was humiliated⁴, I was degraded, I was refused medical attention, I am a cardiac patient in spite of me telling them that I need to take hot meals to take my medication, they refused to give me that. I had my medication on me and to take that medicine you have to have a hot meal which I was denied, I had no food at all, except ice cold sandwiches which to me were stale," he said.

Georgias, in addition to opposing the travel ban on top Zimbabwean officials, is also a critic of targeted sanctions directed against the Zimbabwe government. He says the sanctions, which the E.U. imposed to force the government to respect the rights of ordinary Zimbabweans, were actually punishing them by denying Zimbabwe's government access to lines of credit and balance of payment support from the International Monetary⁵ Fund.

He says the countries that imposed the sanctions are members of the financial institutions that are blocking financial assistance to Zimbabwe. He also says that the human rights situation in Zimbabwe is just as good as in the United States or Britain. If people think otherwise, he says, it is because the British media do not give an accurate picture of what is happening in Zimbabwe.

"You think U.K. and even the United States itself are any better in human rights? Can you tell me they are better than Zimbabwe? Sometimes when you are in London, you can think people [in Zimbabwe] are ducking bullets, there's nobody shooting at anyone, that's the kind of propaganda you get in the U.K.," he said.

The High Court in London has confirmed Georgias' case has been lodged⁶ with it. It would not, however, give any details of the nature of his complaint. A court official said before the case is heard, a judge has to rule whether it warrants being brought to court, which probably will not happen until September. VOA also called the firm of lawyers Georgias said were handling his case, but it refused to discuss the case, citing client confidentiality⁷.

In a related matter, a government controlled newspaper in Zimbabwe, The Herald⁸, has reported that the governor of the Zimbabwe central bank, Gideon Gono, has been denied entry into the United Kingdom. In a statement, Britain's Home Office said while it is not its policy to comment on such matters, since Gono has chosen to go public, it can confirm that he has been excluded from the United Kingdom. The statement adds the Home Secretary may decide to exclude or deport⁹ any individual if she considers that their presence in the UK is not conducive¹⁰ to the public good.

1 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

2 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

3 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

4 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

5 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

6 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 confidentiality   

n.秘而不宣，保密

参考例句：

• They signed a confidentiality agreement. 他们签署了一份保守机密的协议。
• Cryptography is the foundation of supporting authentication, integrality and confidentiality. 而密码学是支持认证、完整性和机密性机制的基础。

8 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

9 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

10 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。