Updated by FFRNews on November 9, 2025
The Bosnia sniper safari allegations have sparked outrage after Milan prosecutors opened an investigation into claims that Italian citizens paid to shoot civilians during the Bosnian war. According to reports from BBC and ANSA, the shocking “sniper safari” scheme allegedly allowed wealthy foreigners to travel to Sarajevo in the early 1990s to take part in lethal “war tourism.”
Italian Prosecutors Investigate ‘Sniper Safari’ Claims
The Milan public prosecutor’s office confirmed it is reviewing evidence submitted by Italian journalist and novelist Ezio Gavazzeni, who filed a complaint accusing individuals of organizing “manhunts” during the Siege of Sarajevo. Gavazzeni’s report alleges that “very wealthy people with a passion for weapons” paid large sums to fire on defenseless civilians from Serb-controlled hills around the city.
According to sources, different “rates” were allegedly charged for shooting men, women, or children, depending on the targets. The prosecutor, Alessandro Gobbis, from Italy’s counter-terrorism division, has classified the potential offense as murder under Italian law.
War Crimes and Disturbing Testimonies
Evidence includes testimony from a Bosnian military intelligence officer, who said his team discovered the so-called “sniper safaris” in late 1993. The officer claimed to have passed the information to Italy’s SISMI military intelligence in 1994. Two months later, SISMI reportedly replied that “the safaris have been stopped,” suggesting Italian authorities may have known about the killings decades ago.
More than 11,000 civilians died during the four-year siege of Sarajevo, which remains one of the darkest chapters of the Yugoslav Wars. Residents risked their lives daily crossing streets under sniper fire, while international forces struggled to maintain peace.
A Documentary Rekindles Old Wounds
Gavazzeni revived the investigation after watching the 2022 Slovenian documentary “Sarajevo Safari”, directed by Miran Zupanič, which exposed claims that foreign nationals — including Italians, Russians, and Americans — participated in these deadly expeditions. The journalist’s findings reportedly span 17 pages, including testimony from former Sarajevo mayor Benjamina Karić.
The allegations are not new. In 1992, Russian nationalist Eduard Limonov was filmed firing into Sarajevo alongside Radovan Karadžić, the Bosnian Serb leader later convicted of genocide. However, Limonov’s actions were seen as ideological rather than part of a paid “safari.”
“Indifference of Evil”: A Chilling Description
Speaking to La Repubblica, Gavazzeni described the alleged participants as embodying the “indifference of evil.” He claimed that “at least a hundred” people took part in the practice, some paying the modern equivalent of €100,000 to shoot civilians for sport. According to reports, they entered Bosnia from Trieste, posing as humanitarian workers before being escorted to sniper positions in the mountains.
After a weekend of shooting, they would return home to their normal lives.
Justice and Accountability
While Bosnia’s own investigation appears to have stalled, Italian prosecutors are now compiling a witness list to determine who may have organized or participated in the killings. The case underscores the persistent struggle for accountability in post-war Europe and the moral void left by those who exploited human suffering for entertainment.
International observers view this probe as a critical moment for justice — not just for the victims of Sarajevo, but for the principle that no crime committed under the fog of war should go unpunished.
