VOA常速英语2007年-Guinean Lawyers, Activists Say Military, Police

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
29 November 2007

Lawyers in Guinea are on strike, protesting the arrest and rough treatment of a lawyer last month.  Lawyers and human rights activists¹ in Guinea say the military and police continue to abuse their position, despite pledges from the country's prime minister that they would be held accountable. A planned investigation² into the involvement of security forces in more than 100 civilian³ deaths during protests earlier this year has stalled. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.

When lawyer Mohamed Lamine Doumbia visited Guinea's central prison in the capital, Conakry, for a routine meeting with a client, he says was treated like a criminal.

He says he was arbitrarily arrested and incarcerated⁴. He says his cell phone was taken, and police began interrogating⁵ him.

Doumbia says his case is a mild one compared to many serious incidents. He says one of his colleagues was seized in the middle of the night with no warrant and money was taken from his house.

Doumbia says none of the people responsible for these acts has faced consequences.  He says all of Guinea's lawyers are on strike, and will not return to work until real steps are taken to address the problem of impunity⁶ in Guinea.

He says the men who are charged with protecting Guinea's citizens are committing terrible crimes and the justice system can do nothing about it.

Mass protests against the government in January and February were brutally⁷ put down. More than 100 civilians⁸ were killed.

The protests ended when Guinea's president, Lansana Conté, agreed to appoint a new prime minister and hand over some powers to him.

Prime Minister Lansana Kouyaté pledged he would bring about reform.  He said protecting human rights through a fair justice system is central to Guinea's development. He vowed⁹ to make the judicial¹⁰ system independent, but Doumbia and others say the changes have not taken place.

In May, parliament established a commission to investigate the security forces' involvement in January and February's violence. But the members of the commission were named only last month, and they have yet to get funding or even a meeting space.

Thierno Maadjou Sow, president of Guinea's Organization for the Defense¹¹ of Human Rights, says he does not believe the commission will be allowed to function.

He says some people in Guinea are untouchable.

Government officials could not be reached for comment.

The position of prime minister does not exist in Guinea's constitution. Previous reform-minded prime ministers have been fired by President Conté, and there was no prime minister for nearly a year before Mr. Kouyate was appointed. Mr. Conté has ruled in Guinea since 1984 when he seized power in a coup¹².

During the January and February protests, he said "It is God who gives power, and when he gives it to someone, everyone must stand behind him."

1 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》

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 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。

4 incarcerated   

钳闭的

参考例句：

• They were incarcerated for the duration of the war. 战争期间，他们被关在狱中。 来自辞典例句
• I don't want to worry them by being incarcerated. 我不想让他们知道我被拘禁的事情。 来自电影对白

5 interrogating   

n.询问技术v.询问( interrogate的现在分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• She was no longer interrogating but lecturing. 她已经不是在审问而是在教训人了。 来自辞典例句
• His face remained blank, interrogating, slightly helpless. 他的面部仍然没有表情，只带有询问的意思，还有点无可奈何。 来自辞典例句

6 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

7 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

10 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

11 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。

12 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。