Serbian boy faces death threats for expressing pro-American views online

The World

Rastko Pocesta, a 12-year-old boy in Serbia is under police protection and has become an unlikely symbol of the struggle between the liberal, pro-western minority and the Serbian nationalists, who still have strong anti-American feelings after NATO bombings during the late 1990’s.

Pocesta wrote a pro-American blog and was administrator of an anti-Serbian nationalist Facebook group. At first, the young boy posed as an adult online, but his identity was revealed when he gave a television interview. He is passionate about human rights and liberal values and loves the United States, which put him at risk in his home country.

For more we hear from BBC’s Mark Lowen, who is reporting from Belgrade.

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