Italy: Prosecutors probe Sarajevo 'sniper tourism' charges

Public prosecutors in Milan have opened investigations into a list of Italians accused of paying for the chance to participate in the siege of Sarajevo as "weekend snipers," Italian media reported this week.

According to charges, wealthy foreigners would pay Serbian forces the equivalent of up to €100,000 ($116,000) to shoot civilians "for fun," the Italian daily La Repubblica wrote. The investigation is led by Alessandro Gobbis and aims at identifying Italians involved in the killing.

They are suspected of "voluntary murder aggravated by cruelty and abject motives" — a crime which has no statute of limitations and carries a maximum life sentence.

La Repubblica reported witnesses describing wealthy Western "war tourists" who would pay a premium to target children.

This is the second investigation into the matter, after then-mayor of Sarajevo Benjamina Karic in 2022 filed criminal charges against "persons unknown" for their role in the shooting of Sarajevo's population. 

Witness accounts of 'sniper tourists' shooting for 'personal satisfaction'

The charges brought in Milan allege that groups of Italians and other nationals would pay Serb forces associated with the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to arrange weekend excursions to the hills surrounding Sarajevo, where they would shoot at the population below as "sniper tourists."

These claims are based on witness statements collected by journalist and writer Ezio Gavazzeni, whose legal complaint earlier this year triggered the current investigation.

"There were no political or religious motivations," Gavazzeni explained, as quoted by The Guardian. "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."

Serbian war veterans have rejected claims of the practice, some dismissing it as an "urban myth."

Karadzic was found guilty of war crimes, genocide, and other crimes against humanity for his role in the Bosnian War in 2016.

Case known as 'Sarajevo Safari'

A 2022 documentary titled "Sarajevo Safari" elucidated these accusations and maintained that the individuals involved hailed not only from Italy, but also from Spain, France, Canada, the United States and Russia.

Should this hold true, the investigations could soon spread further across Europe.

On Thursday, the public prosecutor's office of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed to the regional media outlet outlet N1, that investigations in Bosnia and Herzegovina were ongoing.

"The case is active, and a prosecutorial decision has not yet been made," the office reportedly stated.

The siege of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, took place during the interethnic Bosnian War 1992-95 and claimed an estimated 11,540 lives.

Many were killed by Serb artillery positioned in the surrounding hills. Sniper fire was such a common element of daily life under the siege, that one main boulevard even carried the moniker "Sniper Alley" for the heightened danger traveling along it posed.

Edited by: Sean Sinico