VOA常速英语2008年-British Court Throws Out Convictions of Five Mu

By Tom Rivers
London
14 February 2008

In a Landmark¹ decision, a three judge Court of Appeal panel, headed by the country's most senior judge, overturned Wednesday the convictions of five young British Muslim men who were jailed last July for having obtained information on terrorism from the internet. For VOA, Tom Rivers in London reports.

The young men aged² between 20 and 22 were serving sentences of two to three years for possessing articles for terrorist purposes under the British Terrorism Act of 2002.

What they had done was view extremist material widely available on the internet. What became crucial to the judges was the intention of those viewing the material.

Lord Chief Justice Nicholas Phillips concluded there was no proof of terrorist intent. With that, the five were freed and their convictions quashed. One of those released was Akbar Butt³. "At the moment I do not to say much. I just want to say I am thankful to be here and I am happy with the decision," he said.

Lawyers for the men maintained their clients were jailed for thought crimes and they said this case will have an important impact on other cases in the pipeline⁴. Imran Khan, a lawyer for one of the men, Aitzaz Zafar, said the decision was clear that the possession of extremist material in and of itself was not a crime.

"Of course in the current climate, eveyrone has got to be careful of what they are looking at but importantly now people cannot be prosecuted⁵ and sent to prison simply for having something in their possession without any intention of that item being used for any act of terrorism," he said.

Khan adds, British society must not criminalize people for simply looking at material, whether it is good or bad.

At the time they were arrested four of the men were students at Bradford University in northern England while the other was a high school student from the east end of London.

They all accepted the fact that they had downloaded the material but they said they were simply researching Islam.

Britain's Home Office is now studying the important judgement. Prosecutors⁶ have seven days to decide whether they wish to appeal the ruling.

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

3 butt   

n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶

参考例句：

• The water butt catches the overflow from this pipe.大水桶盛接管子里流出的东西。
• He was the butt of their jokes.他是他们的笑柄。

4 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

5 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

6 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。