(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 18 SET - Massimo Moratti, an Italian national originally from Staranzano (Gorizia) and resident in Serbia, a seasoned human rights expert and contributor to the Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) portal, must leave Serbia by September 19. He was issued an expulsion order, labelling him a "unacceptable risk to security" and prohibiting him from re-entering the Balkan country for one year. Moratti confirmed the news, which is supported by an alert from the Council of Europe's Platform for the Protection of Journalism and the Safety of Journalists, which was published online yesterday, and by an article published by Osservatorio today. Moratti has been permanently residing in Serbia since 2022, with his wife, a Japanese national, and their two-year-old son, who holds dual Italian and Japanese citizenship. According to Moratti, Serbian authorities granted residence permits to his wife, who works in Belgrade, and his son, but denied his own permit and issued an expulsion order without explaining why. Moratti filed an appeal against the order on September 10, but has yet to receive a response. Moratti's expulsion order threatens to separate him from his wife and son. Moratti is a human rights expert with over 20 years of experience in the Balkans and other post-conflict regions, having previously assisted displaced persons and refugees in Serbia. He previously worked as Deputy Director of Amnesty International's Regional Office for Europe. He has been collaborating with OBCT since 2005. The Osservatorio was part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) mission, which visited Serbia in March 2023 to investigate the country's media freedom situation. Moratti was part of the mission. (ANSA).