Conservative MSP Peter Chapman brings to the attention of the chamber Scottish writers who write about contentious issues.

Mr Chapman says "it's vitally important our authors continue to push the boundaries."

He says writers outwith the UK are "not always afforded this opportunity."

Image source, bbc

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says Scottish PEN , externaland Amnesty International , externalhave been rightly praised for their work and should be again and again.

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani says she is feeling quite emotional by this debate and extends it by half an hour to let more MSPs speak.

Image source, Amnesty International

Green MSP Andy Wightman says: "Words are powerful tools in the hands of anyone."

He tells the chamber of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya. He says, in her owns words, "she became obsessed with exposing the killings, torture and beating of civilians by Russian soldiers."

She was killed in 2006, and Mr Wightman says although two men have been given life sentences for the murder, "those who ordered it have never been brought to justice, and probably never will."

Image source, AP

Background: Duo get life for Anna Politkovskaya murder

Two men were given life sentences in 2014 by a Moscow court for the 2006 murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

They were among five men convicted of the crime.

Ms Politkovskaya, an investigative reporter and vocal critic of Russia's war in Chechnya, was shot in a lift in her block of flats.

Read more here

Labour MSP Daniel Johnson says press freedom is very important because it is through the press we hold a mirror to power.

Mr Johnson highlights the case of Oleg Sentsov.

Image source, AFP

In 2015 a court in Russia jailed Ukrainian film-maker Oleg Sentsov for 20 years for plotting terrorist acts in Crimea.

Sentsov, 39, was arrested in May 2014 during a protest against Russia's annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula two months earlier.

He pleaded not guilty and his family say he will appeal. The trial has been condemned by the US, EU and other film directors.

Russia denies accusations that he is a political prisoner.

Another Crimea activist, Alexander Kolchenko, who was being tried with Sentsov and also denies the charges against him, was sentenced to 10 years.

After the verdict was read out, both defendants sang the Ukrainian national anthem, external in the military court in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the case breached international law, while the US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt, said the process had been a "farce".

Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton says "we can not allow others to dilute debate to undermine our arguments."

Explaining that "at least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey", she says: "The situation in Turkey is precarious to say the least."

SNP MSP Ivan McKee begins a discussion on imprisoned journalists and writers.

He says that last year 74 journalists were killed world wide and 284 were imprisoned.

He criticises Saudi Arabia's detention of poet Ashraf Fayadh of Palestinian origin.

Image source, http://www.pen-international.org/

Each year, on 15 November PEN International, PEN Centres and PEN members from around the world commemorate the Day of the Imprisoned Writer to highlight and campaign on behalf of writers who face unjust imprisonment, attacks, harassment and violence simply for their free expression work.

Started in 1981 by PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee, the day is marked by promoting literary culture, celebrating the freedom to write, and taking action to call for justice and freedom for imprisoned and murdered colleagues.

In addition to increasing the public’s awareness of persecuted writers in general, PEN uses the Day of the Imprisoned Writer to direct attention to several specific persecuted or imprisoned writers and their individual circumstances. Each of the selected writers is from a different part of the world, and each case represents circumstances of repression that occur when governments or other entities in power feel threatened by what writers have written. On this day, the general public is encouraged to take action—in the form of donations and letters of appeal—on behalf of the selected writers.

The day also serves to commemorate all of the writers killed since the previous year’s Day of the Imprisoned Writer.

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How did new Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard perform in his debut as party leader at First Minster Questions?

Tweet us using hashtag #BBCFMQ

First minister's questions is over for another week, but don't go away.................

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Health Secretary Shona Robison has ordered an independent review into how waiting times are recorded at St John's Hospital in Livingston.

Concerns about the hospital's A&E department were raised by a whistleblower in October.

Following an immediate NHS Lothian investigation, ordered by Ms Robison, "areas of concern" were found.

NHS Lothian said it was "encouraged" that staff had felt able to raise concerns about the hospital.

Ms Robison has now asked the Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges to carry out an external review.

Read more here

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Neil Findlay asks for the Scottish government's response to concerns that A&E waiting times at St John's Hospital have been misrepresented.

The first minister says the concern of the government is reflected in the action the health secretary took calling for an independent review.

She says concerns were raised by a whistleblower and the external review will report back early next year.

Mr Findlay says he has heard repeatedly from staff saying there is not enough of them at St John's Hospital.

He calls for the forthcoming budget to fully fund the NHS.

Ms Sturgeon says she recognises the pressure on those working in the NHS.

She says the government has increased the funding to front line health services.

All college and university students should have an income of at least £8,100 a year, according to an independent review of student finance.

The report, external, commissioned by the Scottish government, also recommended changes to the student loan system.

The £8,100 figure would be a mix of loans and bursaries determined by personal circumstances.

Student leaders said "serious investment" was needed to change the "broken" support system.

The Scottish government said it would take time to consider the recommendations and set out its next steps "in due course".

Read more here

Image source, bbc

Labour MSP Iain Gray asks what action the government plans to take to support students, in light of the call in the A New Social Contract for Students report, for them to be given a minimum income entitlement of £8,100 per year.

Ms Sturgeon says the report sets out a number of recommendations and these will be considered in detail.

Mr Gray says the key question is the balance between grants and loans.

The Labour MSP says debt levels for students have doubled despite the SNP promising to dump the debt.

He calls for higher grants rather than just more debt.

The first minister says total student support is up.

Image source, bbc

The first minister says: "Yesterday the health secretary met with the chief executive of the ambulance service to set out our expectations."

Asked for reassurances there will be no more single crew services, Ms Sturgeon replies: "Single crewing of ambulances should only happen in exceptional circumstances, and of course we will look at that.

"But it remains only 1.3% of the time."

Image source, Getty Images

Morale in the Scottish Ambulance Service is at "rock bottom" because of excessive demands placed on staff, according to the union Unite.

The BBC has obtained the results of an internal staff survey suggesting work pressure had affected the health of more than half of the respondents.

Unite also warned of increase in the "turnaround" times before an ambulance is ready for its next call.

The ambulance service said it took the wellbeing of staff very seriously.