Syria's "boy in ambulance"; FGM in Russia; Manus Island: HRW Daily Brief

The United States Justice Department today announced it will end the use of private prisons, citing findings that many of these facilities are less safe and less effective at providing correctional services than facilities run by the government. This is welcomed news, but violations persist in government-run facilities as well. The US government should ensure that prisoners are safe regardless of the kind of facility they are in. A new bill in California would protect critical rights for youths in police custody. If passed, the law would require children under 18 to consult an attorney before they waive their Miranda rights, which allow them to remain silent and wait for an attorney before speaking to the police. The pressure to confess during questioning is strong, and children under 18 should not waive these rights without understanding the consequences at an adult level. California residents should call their Assembly Member and tell them to support California Senate Bill 1052. An image of a 5-year-old Syrian boy pulled from the wreckage of an airstrike in Aleppo has become the latest visual reminder of the horrors of the war unfolding there. Omran Daqneesh was reportedly injured in an attack by either Russian or Syrian jets earlier this week. Meanwhile Amnesty International has released fresh research documenting torture inside President Assad's prisons, and claims that up to 18,000 people have died in government jails since the start of the war. In other news, there were celebrations this week after the governments of Papua New Guinea and Australia announced the closure of the Manus Island detention center for asylum seekers. But sadly the lack of substance behind the announcement makes it seem like a "cheap political stunt to avoid taking responsibility for the detention center", says Human Rights Watch.