Italy Investigates Sniper Tourism in Bosnian War

This post explains a recent development: Italian prosecutors have launched a formal investigation into allegations that foreign “sniper tourists” paid to shoot civilians during the 1992–1995 siege of Sarajevo.

Drawing on a dossier submitted in Milan and renewed attention from the documentary Sarajevo Safari, the inquiry probes disturbing claims that foreigners — including some Italians — traveled to Bosnia as privileged guests to commit atrocities.

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How the investigation began

The case was triggered when journalist Ezio Gavazzeni and two lawyers submitted a 17-page dossier to Milan’s attorney general, citing material highlighted in the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari.

Italian authorities have now passed the matter to ROS, Italy’s anti-terrorism unit, marking a significant escalation.

What the documentary and witnesses allege

Miran Zupanic’s film features Bosnian intelligence officer Edin Subasic, who recounted interrogating a Serbian fighter in 1993.

According to Subasic, the fighter claimed that foreigners — among them Italians — were paid to participate in so-called “human safaris,” travelling through Serb-controlled areas and treated as privileged guests.

Other accounts cited in reporting and the dossier suggest there may even have been a gruesome “price list” indicating different payments depending on a victim’s gender, age or pregnancy.

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Photographer Dzemil Hodzic, who lost his brother to a sniper during the siege, described some foreign visitors as leaving “a bloody trail” in their wake.

The human cost and international dimensions

The siege of Sarajevo was catastrophic.

More than 11,000 people were killed in the city, including over 1,000 children, and snipers are estimated to have caused around 300–350 deaths.

Evidence being examined and possible implications

Research by academics such as Mirsad Tokaca estimates roughly 300 foreign mercenaries from countries including Greece, Russia and Ukraine fought with Bosnian Serb forces.

The dossier and documentary allege at least three Italians were among five foreigners seen moving in privileged groups through Serb-held zones.

Reports of a “price list” — if substantiated — would support charges that civilians were recruited to commit targeted killings for pay.

If prosecutors can link individual civilians to war crimes carried out independently of formal military structures, Italy could see the first European trials of this kind.

The inquiry by ROS is an early-stage criminal probe; investigators will need to corroborate witness testimony, archival material and any available visual records.

These developments reopen difficult questions about accountability and the ways that outsiders can become involved in conflicts far from home.

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For survivors and families, the legal process is about more than criminal culpability. It is part of asserting historical truth.

The Italian Riviera — from Genoa and Portofino to Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Camogli, Sestri Levante, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and Sanremo — offers sunlit harbours and dramatic coastal paths.

Yet the same country now pursuing these wartime allegations reminds visitors that Italy is engaged in contemporary efforts to face difficult pasts.

When you next stroll the promenades of Genoa or sip espresso in Camogli, consider visiting local museums and memorials, and carry with you a respect for history and the victims of conflict.

Here is the source article for this story: Italy to investigate ‘sniper tourism’ during Bosnian War

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