INTERNATIONAL: Rich Thrill: Paid to Hunt Humans in Sarajevo
The horrors of the Bosnian War, once buried in the rubble of Sarajevo, are clawing their way back into the spotlight.
Italian prosecutors have kicked off a probe into claims that affluent citizens turned the 1992-95 siege into a twisted playground, paying top dollar for the chance to fire on civilians.
This grim chapter, fueled by a recent documentary and fresh witness accounts, raises uncomfortable questions about complicity in chaos.
Milan’s counter-terrorism unit is now sifting through a 17-page dossier that paints a picture of “sniper tourism” straight out of a nightmare.
Wealthy Italians, allegedly flown from Trieste to Belgrade and then shuttled to sniper nests in the hills, shelled out up to €100,000 -roughly £84,000 for these so-called safaris.
The practice reportedly lasted months in late 1993, ending only when the thrill wore thin.
Echoes of a Bloody Siege
Sarajevo’s 1,425-day ordeal remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, with over 11,000 souls lost to relentless shelling and sniper fire.
Bosnian Serb forces, rejecting the republic’s independence, encircled the capital and turned its streets into killing fields.
Amid the terror, reports suggest foreign thrill-seekers joined the fray, treating human lives like trophies in a macabre game.
The allegations aren’t new whispers but are backed by chilling details. Participants paid premium rates to target civilians at random, with children fetching higher “fees” for the added challenge, while the elderly went for free.
Bosnian Serb soldiers, loyal to warlord Radovan Karadžić, later convicted of genocide, allegedly facilitated the outings, turning positions overlooking the city into paid viewing galleries.
From Forgotten Files to Fresh Scrutiny
Italian journalist Ezio Gavazzeni first chased this story years ago, but it stalled for want of hard proof.
That changed in 2022 with the release of “Sarajevo Safari,” a Slovenian documentary by Miran Zupanič that revisited survivor tales and military logs.
Inspired, Gavazzeni dug deeper, securing testimony from a Bosnian Serb intelligence officer and others who claimed the safaris drew up to 100 foreigners, including groups from Italy.
Filed in January 2025 with support from lawyers and ex-judge Guido Salvini, the report landed on prosecutor Alessandra Gobbis’s desk.
Italian military intelligence, Sismi, had flagged similar tips back in 1994, noting flights from Trieste and hilltop vantage points.
Yet, as one British veteran told the BBC, such stories flew under the radar even then, perhaps too grotesque to grasp.
A Nation Grapples with Ghosts
Italy’s media is abuzz, with outlets like La Repubblica dubbing it “shot by snipers in Sarajevo.” Activist Adriano Sofri, who reported from the front lines in 1995, now calls the practice “universally known,” citing his own dispatches about international “hunters” flaunting their exploits on Karadžić’s broadcasts.
The probe could unmask names, but challenges loom: Bosnia’s divided courts dismissed it as legend, and time has scattered evidence.
If these claims hold, they expose not just individual depravity but a wartime economy of exploitation.
As Milan digs, survivors wonder aloud will justice finally spotlight the spectators who turned tragedy into entertainment?