VOA标准英语2015--Egypt's Release of Journalist Welcomed, With Caution

 

Egypt's Release of Journalist Welcomed, With Caution

LONDON—

The release of Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste from a jail in Cairo has been greeted as a small step forward for basic rights in Egypt. But two of his colleagues remain behind bars. The journalists are being seen as pawns¹ in a power game between Egypt and Qatar, centered on the role of the Muslim Brotherhood².

Greste was reporting on the anti-government protests in Egypt in December 2013 - months after the military overthrow³ of the Muslim Brotherhood government - when he and his two Al Jazeera colleagues were arrested.

He was released Sunday following a presidential decree allowing the deportation⁴ of foreign criminals. But his colleagues, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed, remain in a Cairo jail - along with at least 11 other journalists.

The release of Greste should not distract from the basic rights violations⁵ still taking place, says Nicholas Piachaud of Amnesty International.

“It’s a poisonous air for free speech at the moment in Egypt,” said Piachaud. “This case is just the tip of the iceberg⁶. We have over 40,000 people, activists⁷, believed detained as part of a sweeping⁸ crackdown on dissent⁹.”  

Al Jazeera is funded by Qatar, which is a backer of the Muslim Brotherhood.

After the 2013 military coup¹⁰ in Egypt, which ousted¹¹ the Muslim Brotherhood government, Cairo has fought a power battle with Qatar, says Michael Stephens, head of the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar.

“The three journalists were basically the three victims of a larger power play,” said Stephens. “And I think it was very obvious that Al Jazeera was seen as the prong, if you like, of Qatari influence within Egypt.”

The release of Greste is a symptom of improved relations between the two rivals in recent months - largely brokered¹² by Saudi Arabia, says Stephens.

“It’s something I think that a number of regional powers really couldn’t accept,” said Stephens. “The two were sort of forced to try and reconcile their differences, forced to compromise.”

With the rise of the Islamic State terror group in the region, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's hard line against political Islam has won international backers.

“People who like secular¹³ values, particularly in the West, they’ve got their tongues wagging now thinking that Sissi is the great reformer,” said Stephens. “The Emiratis are also sending out similar notes with that regard. So I think Qatar felt itself a little bit squeezed out on the edge.”

Egypt’s tough stance against the Muslim Brotherhood was underlined Monday when a court upheld death sentences against 183 alleged¹⁴ members of the group, who were convicted of fatal attacks against police. Fifteen policemen were killed in the attacks during protests after the Sissi-led army toppled Egypt’s first freely elected civilian¹⁵ President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, 2013.

Nicholas Piachaud of Amnesty International says the trials were wholly unfair.

“This is a despicable decision,” said Piachaud. “It’s another sign that Egypt’s criminal justice system is spiraling rapidly out of control. We’ve had over 400 people sentenced to death in these kinds of mass trials.”

Meanwhile, Greste has pledged to work tirelessly for the release of his journalist colleagues.

1 pawns   

n.（国际象棋中的）兵( pawn的名词复数 )；卒；被人利用的人；小卒v.典当，抵押( pawn的第三人称单数 )；以（某事物）担保

参考例句：

• The hostages are being used as political pawns. 人质正被用作政治卒子。
• The allies would fear that they were pawns in a superpower condominium. 这个联盟担心他们会成为超级大国共管的牺牲品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

3 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

4 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

9 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

10 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

11 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

12 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

13 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

14 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

15 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。