A/62/221 following underlying causes: almost total impunity, resulting, inter alia, from the absence in Togolese law of an explicit prohibition of torture; deficiencies of the criminal justice system; lack of safeguards against torture; an absence of independent monitoring mechanisms; the involvement of the military in law enforcement activities; the lack of sufficient resources; and corruption. The Special Rapporteur accordingly recommended to the Government a number of measures to prevent and combat torture and ill-treatment. 10. On the question of pending visits, for the remainder of 2007, a visit to Sri Lanka (originally scheduled for January 2007) and one to Indonesia are expected to take place in October and November 2007, respectively. The Special Rapporteur is pleased to report that he has accepted an invitation from the Government of Iraq to visit the country in early 2008. Following a meeting with the delegation of the Government of Equatorial Guinea to the fifth session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur accepted an oral invitation to visit the country in January 2008. 11. In May 2007, the Special Rapporteur renewed requests for invitations from the following States: Algeria (request first made in 1997); Afghanistan (2005); Belarus (2005); Bolivia (2005); Côte d’Ivoire (2005); Egypt (1996); Eritrea (2005); Ethiopia (2005); Fiji (2006); the Gambia (2006); India (1993); Iran (Islamic Republic of) (2005); Israel (2002); Liberia (2006); Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (2005); Papua New Guinea (2006); Saudi Arabia (2005); Syrian Arab Republic (2005); Tunisia (1998); Turkmenistan (2003); Uzbekistan (2006); Yemen (2005); and Zimbabwe (2005). He regrets that some of these requests are of long-standing. Darfur 12. In accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 4/8 of 30 March 2007, the Special Rapporteur participated in two meetings of the group composed of seven special procedures mandate holders held from 24 to 27 April and on 24 May 2007. The group was requested “to work with the Government of the Sudan … to ensure the effective follow-up and to foster the implementation of resolutions and recommendations on Darfur, as adopted by the Human Rights Council, the Commission on Human Rights and other United Nations human rights institutions, as well as to promote the implementation of relevant recommendations of other United Nations human rights mechanisms”. The process resulted in a preliminary report on the situation of human rights in Darfur (A/HRC/5/6) which was submitted to the Council at its fifth session. A further update will be submitted to the sixth session of the Council in accordance with resolution OM/1/3 of 20 June 2007. Press conferences and statements 13. On 27 March 2007, following his appearance before the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur held a press conference in Geneva. The questions raised by the journalists included the challenges to the prohibition of torture in the context of fighting terrorism, the issue of rehabilitation of and reparation to torture victims and follow-up to past country visits. 14. On 10 May 2007, the Special Rapporteur, together with other special procedure mandate holders, called on the Government of Myanmar to release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and to free all the remaining political prisoners. 07-45686 5