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]

Swedish activist shown ‘confessing’ on Chinese state television
In a virtually unprecedented humiliation for a foreign national, a Swedish activist has appeared on Chinese state TV appearing to apologize for hurting “the feelings of the Chinese people” in his work with human-rights lawyers amid a widening crackdown on dissent by the Chinese government. TIME

Amal Clooney offers to take jailed Azerbaijani journalist’s case *PEN Case List
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has offered to take the case of jailed Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova to the European Court of Human Rights. Ismayilova and her lawyer are said to be considering Clooney’s offer. RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY

Ottawa says it won’t grant imprisoned Saudi blogger Canadian citizenship
The Trudeau government says it won’t grant imprisoned Saudi blogger Raif Badawi Canadian citizenship, arguing this would not help the case of a man sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for blasphemy. THE GLOBE AND MAIL

BBC journalist stopped from flying to US over UK-Iranian nationality
Rana Rahimpour, a presenter at the BBC’s Persian service based in London, was stopped at Heathrow airport on Tuesday before catching a flight to New Jersey. US authorities told her she could no longer fly to the US under the visa waiver programme because of her Iranian citizenship. THE GUARDIAN

Journalists filming in France are robbed at knife-point by migrants
Dutch filmmaker Maaike Engels was making a documentary in Calais Jungle when her colleague Teun Voeten was attacked by three young men armed with knife and pepper spray. The pair was saved when other migrants came to their rescue and ran the attackers off. THE DAILY MAIL

ECHR fines Turkey for 2007 raid of Nokta magazine
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled for Turkey to be fined over a police raid on the office building of Nokta magazine upon a military court ruling in 2007, stating that the raid constituted a violation of human rights. HURRIYET DAILY NEWS

A South Carolina lawmaker wants to create registry for journalists
State Rep. Mike Pitts has introduced a bill called the “South Carolina Responsible Journalism Registry Law.” According to Pitts, only “responsible” journalists — those who pay to be registered and vetted by the state — should be allowed to cover presidential politics or any other kind of news. WASHINGTON POST