Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into shocking claims that wealthy “sniper tourists” paid more than $140,000 to shoot civilians – with an extra fee to kill children – during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s.
The probe follows allegations by Italian investigative writer Ezio Gavazzeni, who says he uncovered evidence that affluent gun enthusiasts – dubbed “sniper tourists” – paid Bosnian Serb forces for the opportunity to kill residents at random during the four-year siege of the Bosnian capital, The Guardian reported.
More than 10,000 people were killed in Sarajevo between 1992 and 1996 by sniper fire and shelling during the Balkan Wars, which erupted as Yugoslavia fractured into separate states.
During the conflict, snipers stationed in tower blocks and the surrounding hills routinely targeted civilians.
“There were Germans, French, English … people from all Western countries who paid large sums of money to be taken there to shoot civilians,” said Gavazzeni.
“There were no political or religious motivations. They were rich people who went there for fun and personal satisfaction.
“We are talking about people who love guns who perhaps go to shooting ranges or on safari in Africa.”
Gavazzeni said he first read about the alleged “human safaris” in Italian media in the 1990s but began investigating in depth after watching a 2022 documentary featuring a former Serb soldier who claimed foreigners had fired at Sarajevo residents from the hills.
He alleges that Italian participants met in Trieste, near the border with the former Yugoslavia, before travelling to Belgrade and then to sniper positions overlooking Sarajevo under the escort of Bosnian Serb soldiers.
He said one of his main sources was a former Bosnian intelligence officer.
The newly opened investigation, led by Milan prosecutors, aims to identify any Italians involved in the alleged sniper tourism.
Gavazzeni claims he has already identified several suspects, who are expected to be questioned in the coming weeks.
The Bosnian Consulate in Milan confirmed that Bosnia’s government would provide “total collaboration” with the inquiry.
“We are impatient to discover the truth about such a cruel matter in order to close a chapter of history. I am in possession of certain information I will be sharing with the investigators,” a spokesman said.
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