PEN’s Free Expression Digest brings you a daily curated round-up of the most important free expression-related stories from around the web. Subscribe here. *This mailing list is currently in BETA as we work out the kinks. Please send your feedback and suggestions to [email protected]

UK court overturns DRIPA mass surveillance law 
Emergency mass surveillance laws rushed through Parliament in just 3 days last year have been ruled unlawful by the High Court. DRIPA gave GCHQ and other intelligence authorities the power to gather and retain information on phones calls, texts and online communications, and force telecom companies to retain data for 12 months. WIRED
 
Egypt revises draft anti-terrorism law that threatened to put journalists in jail
The government has revised the draft law that threatened to imprison reporters for up to two years if they contradicted official statements released about jihadist attacks. Now, journalists will not face jail time, but will instead be fined a hefty amount ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($25,500 to $64,000). IB TIMES
 
Egyptian security forces raid news network offices, arrest director
Egyptian security forces have arrested Yahya Khalaf, the director of the privately owned Yaqeen news network, and are holding him under investigation for alleged crimes linked to terrorism, accusing him of publishing false news to incite violence against the state. COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
 
Azerbaijan: Court date shifted for imprisoned journalist Khadija Ismayilova *PEN Case List
Ismayilova’s court date has been changed from July 22 to July 24, according to her lawyer. Ismayilova was arrested in December 2014 and has been awaiting trial in jail ever since. She faces a variety of charges, all of which have been widely denounced as a politically motivated attempt to silence her exposés of corruption. OCCRP
 
Philippine festival expands screenings for Asian filmmakers who may face censorship at home
The Philippines’ leading independent film festival is adding a section showcasing Asian films, offering a venue for filmmakers facing censorship in other parts of Asia. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
 
Irked by U.S., but EU keeps own spy projects quiet
Revelations of U.S. spying in Europe have soured transatlantic relations, yet the 28-nation European Union itself, as a collective institution, is spending hundreds of millions of euros developing security technologies that civil liberties watchdogs say jeopardize rights to privacy. REUTERS