Rich individuals from foreign countries allegedly paid a significant amount of money, around £70,000, to participate in disturbing ‘human safari’ excursions where they could shoot and kill innocent civilians. Italian prosecutors have initiated an investigation into allegations that affluent Italian citizens and others traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the brutal war in the 1990s for what was described as “sniper tourism” trips.
The city of Sarajevo was transformed into a battleground during a harrowing four-year siege, resulting in over 11,000 deaths due to sniper attacks and shelling between 1992 and 1996. A troubling complaint lodged in a Milan court alleges that wealthy foreigners paid to target defenseless civilians, with varying fees based on the gender and age of the victims.
The case, brought to light in a Milan court, alleges that these visitors, purportedly linked to extremist groups, would fly from Trieste to Belgrade using the Serbian airline Aviogenex. Upon arrival, they would reportedly head to the hills encompassing Sarajevo and target innocent civilians on the ground from Serbian positions.
These so-called “human hunters” allegedly paid between £70,000 and £88,000 to engage in weekend shooting sprees, taking aim at Bosnians who were already suffering from the ravages of war. Reports suggest that different rates were applied based on the age and gender of the targets.
Allegations of these appalling activities emerged following a complaint filed by Italian journalist Ezio Gavazzeni and former Sarajevo mayor Benjamina Karic. The accused tourists are said to have paid substantial sums to Radovan Karadžić, the former Bosnian Serb leader convicted of war crimes, and his brutal army, which committed genocide during the Bosnian war.
Gavazzeni claimed that around 100 affluent tourists partook in these hunts as a recreational pursuit, with no political or religious motivations involved. These individuals, described as gun enthusiasts, allegedly paid for the opportunity to shoot unarmed civilians as a form of entertainment.
The investigative journalist highlighted that a Bosnian intelligence officer and Italian intelligence agencies had information on these disturbing activities since 1993, indicating potential witnesses willing to testify. The claims were reignited by a 2022 documentary titled “Sarajevo Safari” by director Miran Zupanic.
The Bosnian consul in Milan, Dag Dumrukcic, expressed support for the investigation, emphasizing the need to uncover the truth and address the atrocities committed. Italy has the full cooperation of the Bosnian government in seeking justice for the victims of these heinous acts.