VOA标准英语2012--Syrian Conflict Gives Hope for Families of Missing Lebanese
时间：2019-01-13 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(九月)
Syrian Conflict Gives Hope for Families of Missing Lebanese
Ali Abou Dehn has wounds he says were inflicted 1 by the Syrian army before his release in 2000 as part of a Syrian diplomatic gesture. Dehn says he was imprisoned 2 in Syria for 13 years.
"I was hanged by this one, until this one was separated," pointing to one of his wrists.
According to Dehn and his organization, Lebanese Political Detainees in Syria, there are approximately 615 Lebanese being illegally detained in Syrian prisons. Most were taken when Syrian forces occupied Lebanon during its civil war.
Recently, Yaccoub Chamoun returned to Lebanon after 27 years in Syrian jails. He is too scared to give an interview. But his release was seen as a sign of hope for families of the so-called "missing."
Ghazi Aad runs an organization called SOLIDE, which works on behalf of the families of the missing.
The group organizes protests, connects families, and maintains a vigil in front of a United Nations building in Beirut. He says Lebanese politicians have done little to pressure the Syrian government and consider the missing people as deceased.
"Chamoun came after 27 years to tell us, and to tell those officials, that no, what you're saying is not right, it's wrong. I'm still alive, after 27 years and yes, there are Lebanese people who are still in Syrian prisons and they are still alive," Aad said.
Families of the missing keep a constant vigil at the UN building. Magida Bashasha's brother Ahmed was taken at age 17 while passing through a Syrian checkpoint. He would be 53 now. Bashasha's mother went to Syria three times to inquire about him.
"They told her we will not allow you to see him before you pay us money, so they used to take money from her and lie to her. They never showed him to her. She was sick and tired a lot. She went many times, not one time, and she never saw him," Bashasha said.
Bashasha stays in the tent every weekend, speaking on behalf of the families.
Dehn says he and 480 ex-prisoners that make up his group believe the conflict inside Syria offers the greatest chance yet for their comrades to be released.
"We get a great hope that people will get out of the prison, OK. Assad is going, no more space for him," Dehn said.
A law creating a "National Commission for the Victims of Enforced Disappearance 3" is being drafted by Lebanon's Ministry 4 of Justice. Activists 5 says its establishment would be a quantum leap for the missing.
- They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
- Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。
- He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
- They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。
- He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
- Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。