PEN’s Free Expression Digest brings you a daily curated round-up of the most important free expression-related stories from around the web. Please send your feedback and suggestions to [email protected]

Journalist, others held over case of Chinese spiritual guide
A Chinese journalist and policeman have been detained over accusations of bribery and the leaking of documents relating to the case of a disgraced spiritual guide linked to celebrities and a fallen state minister, state media reports say. The case has drawn the concern of foreign journalists’ advocates about the ability of reporters to do probing work in China. ABC NEWS

CISA sponsors hope to pass controversial anti-hacking bill ‘in a matter of days’
The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, the most important and sweeping cybersecurity bill ever considered by Congress, was introduced Tuesday and will move forward with a vote expected later this week. The bill essentially encourages private companies to share ‘cyber threat’ information with the federal government. MOTHERBOARD VICE

Government may have ordered Internet shutdown in Congo-Brazzaville
Several news outlets reported an Internet shutdown in Congo-Brazzaville, where thousands of people are protesting after news surfaced that President Sassou Nguesso is contemplating extending presidential term limits. According to Vice and Reuters, mobile internet and SMS services were cut off even before the protests began, and at least four protesters were killed. ACCESS NOW

Award-winning Ukrainian journalist denied British visa
The U.K. has refused to grant a visa to Ekaterina Sergatskova, a Ukrainian investigative journalist who has reported extensively on the Russian invasion of Ukraine from both sides of the conflict. Sergatskova wanted to collect the prestigious Kurt Shork Memorial Award in London on October 29. UKRAINE TODAY

Three years for drawing Mickey Mouse ears on President Sisi
An Egyptian Facebook user was charged with ‘attempting to overthrow the regime’ last week and sentenced to three years for drawing Mickey Mouse ears on President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi. Social media users took to Twitter to express solidarity and outrage, sharing the image and mocking the sentence under the hashtag ‘Freedom for Amr Nohan’. MIDDLE EAST MONITOR

New Zealand gun shop owner vows to prosecute TV3 reporter
A gun shop owner is vowing to privately prosecute Heather du Plessis-Allan, claiming she bought a gun without a licence. Auckland City police have opened an investigation on the purchase of a .22 rifle made by the TV3 reporter for a piece on current affairs show, ‘Story’. STUFF.CO.NZ

Apple tells U.S. judge ‘impossible’ to unlock new iPhones
In court papers, Apple said that for the 90 percent of its devices running iOS 8 or higher, granting the U.S. Justice Department’s request to force the company to help authorities access a seized iPhone during an investigation ‘would be impossible to perform’ after it strengthened encryption methods. REUTERS

Vice Media goes dark to highlight prolonged detention of journalist in Turkey
Vice Media is carrying out a two-hour blackout on its websites to call attention to an Iraqi Kurdish journalist who has been held in Turkish jails without charges since being arrested while working for the news organization. Mohammed Rasool has been in jail for nearly eight weeks. U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

Cuban artist jailed for mocking Castros is released
Danilo Maldonado has been released after spending 10 months in prison for mocking Raul and Fidel Castro. Mr. Maldonado, also known as El Sexto, painted two pigs with the names of the country’s current president and former leader and was arrested by state security officers before he could set them free in a public square. BBC NEWS