Prosecutors in Milan have begun an investigation into claims that wealthy individuals from Western countries, including Italy and the United States, paid significant sums to participate in so-called “sniper safaris” during the siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995. The allegations state that these individuals paid Bosnian Serb forces for the opportunity to shoot at civilians, including women and children.
The inquiry was prompted by a complaint from Italian investigative journalist Ezio Gavazzeni. Gavazzeni alleges that groups of affluent foreigners traveled to Sarajevo in the 1990s specifically to engage in what he described as murder tourism. According to his findings, participants reportedly paid up to €80,000 (about $90,000) for the chance to fire at unarmed residents within the besieged city. Additional payments were allegedly required if the targets were children.
These activities are said to have taken place along “Sniper Alley,” a main boulevard in Sarajevo where Bosnian Serb snipers frequently targeted civilians during the war. The siege resulted in over 11,000 deaths in Sarajevo alone, with more than 1,500 of those being children.
Gavazzeni explained that the motivations behind these acts were not political or religious but rather stemmed from a desire for thrill and personal satisfaction. “We are talking about people who love guns who perhaps go to shooting ranges or on safaris in Africa,” Gavazzeni wrote of the tourists in his 17-page report.
The journalist also noted that murder tourists came from several countries, including the United States. According to a BBC report, similar allegations about foreign “human hunters” have surfaced previously, but evidence collected by Gavazzeni—including testimony from a Bosnian military intelligence officer—is now under review by Italian counter-terrorism prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis.
The Bosnian officer cited by Gavazzeni revealed that his colleagues discovered information about these safaris in late 1993 and passed it on to Italy’s Sismi military intelligence agency early the following year. A few months later, Sismi responded: “We’ve put a stop to it and there won’t be any more safaris,” according to Ansa news agency. The trips reportedly ceased within two or three months.
Gavazzeni first encountered reports of such activities through Italian media coverage during the 1990s but decided to investigate further after watching a documentary on the Bosnian War released in 2022. His primary source is a former Bosnian intelligence officer whose accounts form much of his complaint. To support his case, Gavazzeni is working with two lawyers experienced in international law.
The Bosnian Consulate in Milan has expressed its willingness to cooperate with authorities investigating these claims. A spokesperson stated: “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.”
