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Trump administration ignores deadline to respond to inquiries about Saudi role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, prompting demands from various civil society and human rights organizations for greater accountability and investigation. (See joint statement from PEN America and other organizations, and PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel discussing case on CNN.) 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals rules that Delaware rule requiring balance of Republican and Democratic judges on appellate courts violates the First Amendment. Instagram bans graphic images of self-harm, such as cutting, and will make non-graphic images of self-harm more difficult to find by excluding them from search results, hashtags, and recommended content. -Nora Benavidez, Director of U.S. Free Expression Programs

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

Trump Administration Resists Deadline on Inquiry into Saudi Role in Khashoggi Killing
The Trump administration was set to ignore a deadline for giving the Senate a full accounting of the role of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in the brutal slaying of U.S.-based Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi four months ago.
LOS ANGELES TIMES

3rd Circuit Strikes down Requirement for Democratic and Republican Balance on Top Courts
The constitutional provision provides that, when there are an even number of judges on a court, no more than half the seats may be held by one political party. When there is an odd number of judges, no more than a bare majority may be held by members one political party.
ABA JOURNAL

Instagram Bans Graphic Images of Self-Harm After Teenager’s Suicide
Instagram will no longer allow graphic images of self-harm, such as cutting, on its platform. The change appears to be in response to public attention to how the social network might have influenced a 14-year-old’s suicide.
NEW YORK TIMES

Journalists, Lawyers, and Activists Working on the Border Face Coordinated Harassment from U.S. and Mexican Authorities
The freelance photojournalists swept up in the dragnet have been left to worry about whether they will be able to freely continue their profession, or if state interference—in some cases from their own government—will prevent them from documenting some of the most important stories of the Trump era.
THE INTERCEPT
*See PEN America’s statement

 
Global

Mexican Journalist Killed in Gulf Coast State of Tabasco
Mexican radio journalist Jesus Ramos was shot and killed in the Gulf Coast state of Tabasco. Local media outlets reported that Ramos received multiple bullet wounds while eating breakfast at a restaurant that he frequented.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

TV Anchor Rizwan Razi Arrested for ‘Defaming State Institutions’
Journalist Rizwanur Rehman Razi was arrested by Lahore’s Cyber Crime Wing of Federal Investigation Agency for allegedly posting defamatory and obnoxious content on social media.
THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE

Abdurehim Heyit Chinese Video ‘Disproves Uighur Musician’s Death’
Chinese state media have released a video appearing to show a Uighur musician previously reported to have died in a detention camp. But some Uighurs have questioned the video’s authenticity.
BBC NEWS

Opinion: Australia’s Most Important Writer Isn’t Allowed Into the Country
“Behrouz Boochani has continued his journalism in the Australian immigration detention system, detailing the circumstances of its inmates in publications like The Guardian and The Saturday Paper. He also shot an award-winning documentary, ‘Chauka, Please Tell Us the Time,’ using a smuggled mobile phone.”
NEW YORK TIMES

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