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Israel frees Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq
Israel has released Palestinian activist and journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq, who spent three months on hunger strike in protest against his treatment by Israeli authorities after being held without trial or charge since November. AL JAZEERA

Journalist Narges Mohammadi sentenced to ten years in prison *PEN Case List
Reporters Without Borders is appalled by the ten-year jail sentence that a Tehran judge has just passed on Narges Mohammadi, a journalist and spokesperson for Iran’s Centre for Human Rights Defenders. REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

Russia: Three RBC media group editors resign under political pressure
Three top editors from the Russian RBC media group announced their departure on May 13 as the political pressure against the independent media outlet grows in Russia. The International and European Federations of journalists back their affiliate the Russian Union of Journalists in expressing concerns over the growing intimidation against the media in Russia. IFEX

Bangladeshi doctor killed in machete attack
Machete-wielding assailants have killed a doctor and wounded a university teacher in a village in western Bangladesh, in what police suspected was the latest in a series of attacks by Islamist extremists in the Muslim-majority nation. THE GUARDIAN

Tajikistan: Release government critic
Tajik authorities should immediately release Abubakr Azizkhodzhaev, a well-known businessman and government critic who has been detained since February 2016 on politically motivated charges and has been ill-treated in custody. Azizkhodzhaev was detained after publicly and privately criticizing the son-in-law of President Emomali Rahmon for alleged corrupt business practices. HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

IFJ expresses concern over Pakistani journalist missing since 2015
The International Federation of Journalists expresses grave concern for Pakistani journalist Zeenat Shahzadi who has been missing since August 2015. The IFJ demands Pakistan’s authorities to take immediate action to find her kidnappers and reveal the status of investigations into the disappearance of the young woman reporter. IFEX

Chinese officials ‘create 488m bogus social media posts a year’
The Chinese government is fabricating almost 490 million social media posts a year in order to distract the public from criticizing or questioning its rule, according to a study of leaked documents by Harvard University researchers. THE GUARDIAN