A Canadian teenager has been held in custody for 30 days after writing a fictional story in which a bullied pupil plans to blow up his school.
After he read the story out in class, rumours swept the school in Ontario that the boy actually had a hit list and bombs.
But lawyers say holding him on charges of making death threats has severe implications on civil liberties, and claim the boy's story was his way of appealing to bullies who had harassed him to stop their cruelty.
He was taken into custody on December 8 and has since spent his 16th birthday behind bars.
Police raided his family's home two weeks after he presented an assignment to his Grade 11 drama class at a secondary school in Avonmore.
The boy's lawyer, Frank Horn, says he has received calls of concern from actors and writers across Canada since taking the case.
He said: "We're talking about a very grave civil liberties issue here. This case has severe implications".