A/HRC/22/58 violations through the criminal justice system is necessary to combat the culture of impunity that exists for acts of torture in police stations, prisons and in other places of detention, particularly during the interrogation of suspects. In addition, he encourages the Government to initiate human rights training programmes for police officers and prison officials, and to develop the capacity of other relevant public officials, including judges and doctors, who can intervene on suspected cases of torture. 13. The Special Rapporteur acknowledges the steps being taken by the Government to address the ongoing practice of torture in Myanmar. He commends the Government on its commitment last November to allow the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to resume prison visits in order to assess conditions and facilitate access to healthcare, and notes the subsequent successful completion of the first pilot prison visit in January. He encourages the Government to continue this good cooperation with the ICRC and reiterates his recommendation that national and other international monitoring groups be provided with access to prisons. To help systematize the process of prison visits to prevent torture, he recommends that Myanmar prioritize the ratification of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol. Furthermore, he encourages the Government to invite the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to conduct a country visit. 14. In Yangon, the Special Rapporteur also met with the wife of Phyo Wai Aung. He was deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of the former prisoner of conscience on 4 January 2012, only five months after his release from Insein Prison. Phyo Wai Aung had previously informed the Special Rapporteur that his confession had been extracted as a result of torture. His death has also highlighted the inadequate health care that prisoners are provided with in Myanmar’s prisons. The Special Rapporteur recommends that urgent measures be taken to address this, including through the passing and implementation of a new Prisons Law, which he understands from the Home Affairs Minister will be considered by Parliament soon. He hopes the new law will comply with international standards, including the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and also address concerns over the use of solitary confinement, transfers to remote prisons and non-judicial punishment. In this regard, he encourages the authorities to take into account the comments provided on the initial draft by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and OHCHR. C. Freedom of expression 15. The Special Rapporteur acknowledges important progress that has been made in developing a more open environment for people to express themselves, including a freer media environment. In 2012, no journalists were jailed in Myanmar and the country rose 18 places to 151 out of 179 States in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index. 16. In August 2012, in a significant step forward, pre-publication screening and censorship by the Press Scrutiny and Registration Division (PSRD) was brought to an end, and in January 2013 the PSRD was replaced with the Copyright and Registration Division (CRD). However, members of the press are still required to send printed copies of their publications to the CRD after publication, and the CRD can summon journalists to its headquarters and threaten newspapers with suspension. The Special Rapporteur also has concerns over the current registration process for print publications, where the threat of the revocation of licences could be used by State authorities as a tool for censorship, as well as concerns over the misuse of defamation laws to secure censorship. 17. In September, the Government established a 28-member Interim Press Council, which subsequently created four working committees to perform the tasks of resolving disputes and complaints, drafting the code of ethics and the new media law, finance and 5