Kremlin Urged to Free Russian Political Prisoners
俄罗斯人权人士促总统释放政治犯
Russian human rights activists are urging President Dmitri Medvedev to act on his call for legal reforms by freeing individuals considered to be political prisoners. The activists say their case is supported by Mr. Medvedev's recent acknowledgement that justice in Russia may be bought with money or influenced through powerful connections. In Moscow news conference where the appeal was made public.
俄罗斯人权活动人士敦促总统梅德韦杰夫释放那些被认为是政治犯的被囚禁的人,从而实现他自己要求司法改革的呼吁。这些政治活动人士说,梅德韦杰夫最近承认俄罗斯的司法公正可以被金钱和权势所左右,正好印证了他们的观点。这些政治活动人士在一个记者会上公开发出上述呼吁。
Activists representing several of Russia's major human rights organizations have sent an open letter to President Dmitri Medvedev urging him to pardon 15 individuals serving long prison terms based not on criminal violations, but what they say is political persecution. The activists note, however, the imprisoned individuals represent only a portion of the 100, and perhaps many more political prisoners in today's Russia. They include scientists charged with espionage, Muslims accused of terrorism, and businessmen charged with economic crimes.
来自俄罗斯几个大型人权组织的活动人士向梅德韦杰夫总统发出公开信,呼吁他赦免15名没有刑事犯罪、却在长期服刑的犯人。活动人士称这些人受到政治迫害而服刑。不过他们指出,上述15个人只是目前关押在俄罗斯的100名,甚至更多的政治犯的一部分。这些人包括被指控犯有间谍罪的科学家,犯有恐怖主义罪行的穆斯林,以及犯有经济罪的商人。
The activists, however, say the businessmen were targets of government officials interested in seizing their assets or eliminating political opponents. One of the imprisoned businessmen is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a billionaire and Kremlin foe, whose Yukos Oil Company was dismantled by the Russian government. The Muslims, say their defenders, were innocent victims of anti-Islamic or anti-terrorist hysteria. And the scientists merely maintained routine professional relations with foreign colleagues or used open source materials to publish scientific papers.
活动人士说,商人成为那些希望攫取他们财产或是消除政治对手的政府官员的打击目标。以被囚禁的霍尔多科夫斯基为例,他是一位亿万富翁,也是克里姆林宫的政敌。他的尤科斯公司被俄罗斯政府解散。而那些穆斯林,他们的辩护者说,他们只是歇斯底里的反伊斯兰和反恐行动的无辜受害者。那些被囚禁的科学家只是和国外同行保持例行的工作联系,或是使用可以公开的材料发表科学文献。
Activist Ernest Cherniy, representing the Public Committee to Protect Scientists, says scientists were singled out after President Putin told Parliament in 2000 that any relations with foreigners would constitute a criminal act, although such activity is not forbidden by law.
来自保护科学家公共委员会的活动人士切尔尼说,2000年,俄罗斯前总统普京在议会说,与外国人保持联系就是犯罪,之后,这些科学家被起诉判刑,虽然俄罗斯法律并不禁止与外国人保持联系。
The reason, says Cherniy, was simple; to show the political situation in the country was tense, that spies and subversives were everywhere. He adds that later, former Federal Security Service Director Nikolai, Patrushev, was able to report catching 100 spies each year. But the activist scoffs at the notion that entire battalions of spies had suddenly appeared in Russia.
切尔尼说,原因很简单,就是想证明俄罗斯政治局势非常紧张,间谍和颠覆者随处都有。 切尔尼补充说,后来,俄罗斯前联邦安全局局长帕罗舍夫每年都报告说抓获了大约100名间谍。但是,活动人士对俄罗斯突然出现大批间谍的说法嗤之以鼻。
On Tuesday, President Dmitri Medvedev added to his growing list of statements about the need for legal reform in Russia.
这个星期二,梅德韦杰夫在他一连串的政见声明中加上了司法改革的必要性。
Mr. Medvedev says everyone knows that when justice fails in Russia it is often because of various pressures, including phone calls from powerful officials and money, which he referred to as a sin that cannot be disguised.
梅德韦杰夫说,每个人都知道,俄罗斯的司法体系不起作用常常是因为各种各样的压力,包括有权有势的人打电话以及金钱的压力。梅德韦杰夫指出,这是无法掩饰的罪行。
Lev Ponomarev of the For Human Rights organization says the Medvedev statement implicitly acknowledges that innocent people are imprisoned in Russia for political reasons.
来自“为了人权”组织的帕诺马尔雷夫说,梅德韦杰夫的声明间接承认无辜的人因为政治原因被关押。
Ponomarev says that if the president acknowledges the existence of telephone justice in Russia; if people are imprisoned because of phone calls from the government, then human rights activist present him with an initial list of well-known victims of such justice and call for their release. Ponomarev adds that a presidential pardon would be a sign that the legal reform process is truly under way.
帕诺马尔雷夫说:“如果总统承认俄罗斯存在电话司法,如果由于政府的电话就关押人,那么人权活动人士就可以向他递交因为这种原因被关押的人士的最初名单,并呼吁释放他们。他补充说,总统赦免这些人将显示真地是在进行司法改革。”
Former Czech President Vaclav Havel is listed on the letter to Mr. Medvedev as a supporter of a pardon. And human rights activists say they are prepared to meet with the Kremlin leader to discuss the issue.
前捷克总统哈韦尔的名字也出现在支持总统赦免政治犯的信函中。人权活动人士说,他们已经准备好与梅德韦杰夫会晤,讨论这个议题。