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]

Isis kills Syrian poet who opposed Assad government
Islamic State has killed Mohammad Bashir al-Aani, a Syrian poet, and his adult son, whom they captured after a funeral and accused of apostasy. Al-Aani published three volumes of poems and was known for his lyrical style and opposition to the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
THE GUARDIAN

Journalist sentenced to 10 years in Honduras for defamation
A Honduran court sentenced David Romero Ellner, a television host and ex-legislator, to 10 years in prison for defamation of Sonia Inez Galvez Ferrari, the wife of prosecutor Rigoberto Cuellar. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Search of journalist’s phone by Senate attendant called ‘unconscionable’
The press gallery president, Andrew Meares, has written to the president of the Senate, Stephen Parry, asking him to investigate the encounter, in which the phone of a BuzzFeed journalist, Alice Workman, was searched after she tweeted about Labor senator Stephen Conroy playing Candy Crush in the chamber. THE GUARDIAN

Egypt freezes assets of journalist and rights advocate
An Egyptian judicial commission has ordered the assets of four people frozen, including Hossam Bahgat, one of the country’s most prominent investigative journalists, and Gamal Eid, a top rights’ advocate. All four are being investigated for illegally receiving $1.5 million from foreign parties. ASSOCIATED PRESS

UN expert calls on Bahrain to release detained activist
Michel Forst, United Nations expert, called on Bahrain to release Zainab al-Khawaja, an activist detained along with her year-old son Abdulhadi. Al-Khawaja faces several years in prison on a variety of charges linked to her activism, including tearing up pictures of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. ASSOCIATED PRESS

China is said to be holding Jia Jia, a journalist, over Xi Jinping letter
Jia Jia, a Chinese journalist who had written critically of the government, was being held by the authorities on Friday on suspicion that he helped draft a letter calling for the resignation of President Xi Jinping. THE NEW YORK TIMES