Wealthy Foreigners Paid Up to €100,000 to “Hunt” Civilians in Siege of Sarajevo: The Dark Human Safari Allegations Behind the “Weekend Snipers”

Sarajevo sniper tourists, weekend snipers Bosnia 1992‑1996, foreign war tourists, human safari Sarajevo, Italian investigation war crimes, Bosnian war civilian killings

By YEET Magazine Staff, YEET Magazine
Published November 13, 2025

Wealthy Foreigners Paid Up to €100,000 to “Hunt” Civilians in Siege of Sarajevo: The Dark Allegations Behind the “Weekend Snipers”

A shocking new legal investigation in Italy is shining light on horrifying allegations: that wealthy foreigners, including Italians and others, paid large sums—reportedly up to around €100,000—to participate as sniper‑shooters targeting civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992‑1996) in the Bosnian War. These individuals are being described in media reports as “war tourists” or “human safari” participants. 조선일보+3EL PAÍS English+3The Guardian+3

The Allegations, in Plain Terms

• It is alleged that some wealthy gun‑enthusiasts traveled to Sarajevo during its siege, were transported to sniper‑positions on the hills around the city, and paid Bosnian Serb forces (often the Army of Republika Srpska or affiliated militia) for the chance to shoot at civilians—men, women, children—for recreation. The Guardian+1
• According to one complaint filed in Milan, the route began in Italy (Trieste), then to Belgrade, then into Bosnia. EL PAÍS English+1
• Witness‑testimony claims a “price list” existed: civilians had different “fees” based on age, sex, or status; children reportedly carried the highest price. The Week+1
• The investigation in Italy (Milan) is under the auspices of prosecutors looking into charges of murder aggravated by cruelty and base motives. The Guardian

Why This Story Matters

• The siege of Sarajevo was already one of the longest and deadliest in modern European warfare: hundreds of thousands of shells, thousands of civilians killed by sniper fire. If these allegations are true, they add a new, deeply disturbing dimension: recreational killing of civilians by outsiders.
• This raises serious questions of war‑crimes, accountability, and international law. Crimes against humanity and homicide with cruelty are not subject to statute of limitation in many jurisdictions (including for these Italian proceedings). EL PAÍS English+1
• For the survivors and the city of Sarajevo, the notion that some of the civilian‑killings might have been conducted for amusement by visiting foreign gun‑tourists adds a layer of trauma and injustice.

What We Know So Far

• The investigation was triggered by a 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari (dir. Miran Zupanič) which first brought wide attention to the “war‑tourist sniper” claims. Wikipedia+1
• Italian writer Ezio Gavazzeni and lawyers Nicola Brigida and Guido Salvini filed a 17‑page complaint in Milan in July 2025 presenting evidence and requesting investigation. EL PAÍS English+1
• The Milan public prosecutor’s office (led by Alessandro Gobbi) has opened an investigation into Italian citizens for their alleged participation. The Guardian+1
• The alleged price paid by “sniper tourists” is reported in multiple media outlets as €80,000 to €100,000 (or equivalent) for the “trip” and the act of shooting civilians. The Week+1

What Is Still Unclear / Under Investigation

• The exact number of foreigners who participated in these alleged “sniper‑tourist” trips. Media reports use phrases like “many,” “multiple Italians,” “foreign gun‑enthusiasts” but no verified full list. The Guardian+1
• The full chain of command, logistics and organisation of how these trips were arranged: who organised the transport, who provided the weapons, how they chose the positions and targets. Some former intelligence agents claim there are state‑service documents (Italian SISMI) indicating the route. EL PAÍS English
• Legal accountability: No public conviction has yet been reported (as of now) directly for this exact set of allegations. Investigations are ongoing.
• The veracity of all claims: War‑time testimony and memory can be contested; various veterans’ associations in Republika Srpska have denied the allegations. Wikipedia+1

A Real Story from the Ground

In 1993, during the siege of Sarajevo, hills above the city (such as the district of Grbavica) were under the control of Serb forces, who used them to fire into the city. According to several sources, foreigners equipped with rifles and not wearing standard military uniform were seen moving into positions. One former Bosnian intelligence agent later testified that these foreigners — “gun‑enthusiasts” from Western countries, including Italy — arrived via Trieste and Belgrade. They were led to sniper posts, and paid to take shots at civilians, sometimes children. Witnesses describe seeing rifles typically used for hunting rather than military combat. The Week+1

The documentary Sarajevo Safari recounts that these “weekend snipers” viewed the siege as a macabre thrill‑hunt, calling civilians their “targets.” While precise death numbers attributable to them cannot be separated from the overall violence of the siege, the horror lies in the proposition: civilians did not only die in war—they were hunted for sport.

Legal & Ethical Implications

• If Italian citizens are found to have participated, Italian courts assert jurisdiction: because the offence (intentional homicide with cruelty) does not expire under statute of limitation in Italy. EL PAÍS English
• The complicity of non‑combatants travelling to war zones raises questions of “war tourism” ethics, supply of weapons and logistics, enabling by military or paramilitary forces, and accountability across borders.
• Survivors of Sarajevo demand recognition, truth, and justice: the possibility that their death or injury may have been the result of paid civilian‑targeting “sport” decades ago is deeply troubling and raises serious human rights issues.

What Happens Next

• The Milan investigation is ongoing; prosecutors are expected to interview identified suspects, examine archival documents (including intelligence archives), route information, airline records and payments. EL PAÍS English+1
• Bosnia and Herzegovina’s war‑crimes prosecutors are also investigating similar allegations following complaints filed in 2022 by the former mayor of Sarajevo. Wikipedia+1
• If evidence is sufficient, charges may be brought for murder, complicity in war crimes, and organising or facilitating “war tourism.”
• The case may also shine a light on broader issues of foreign participation in wars, mercenary activity, and anonymous gun‑tourism in conflict zones.

Related Queétions

• What were the “sniper tourists” in Sarajevo siege?
• Did foreigners pay to kill civilians in Sarajevo 1992‑1996?
• Weekend snipers Sarajevo human safari Italy investigation
• How many civilians were killed by snipers in Sarajevo war?
• Are Italian citizens under investigation for war‑tourism in Bosnia?
• What is the documentary “Sarajevo Safari”?
• Price paid to shoot civilians in Bosnia war sniper tourism
• War tourism Balkan wars sniper civilians 1990s
• Can you be tried in Italy for murder committed abroad?
• Bosnia Serb forces sniper hills Sarajevo civilians 1993

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Final Word: The allegations of “weekend snipers” during the siege of Sarajevo challenge not only the historical record of that war but also our understanding of how civilians suffer in conflict. They suggest that beyond being under bombardment and sniping, civilians may also have been the victims of visitors who came for sport. The investigation is just beginning—but the moral stakes are high, and the survivors deserve truth.