Sarajevo Human Safari Investigation

Sarajevo Human Safari Investigation is a judicial inquiry launched in Italy in 2025 following renewed allegations that during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s, some wealthy foreigners paid to shoot at Bosnian civilians.

Milano Public Prosecutor’s Office initiated the investigation under the charge of murder with savage cruelty and malicious intent. The allegations claim that during the Siege of Sarajevo from 1992 to 1996, certain Italian and other foreign nationals collaborated with Bosnian Serb militias to participate in what became known as “weekend sniper” activities, targeting civilians.

The investigation began with a formal complaint filed in February 2025 by Italian journalist and author Ezio Gavazzeni with the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office. Gavazzeni stated that certain “wealthy, gun-enthusiastic, and far-right individuals” traveled to Bosnia and paid to kill people.

Historical Background

The Siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from 1992 to 1996, became one of the longest city sieges in modern European history. Following attacks launched by Serb forces on 6 April 1992, the city was bombarded for 3.5 years, causing extensive damage to infrastructure and cultural heritage. During the siege, 11,541 civilians were killed, including 1,601 children.

During the Bosnian War, certain areas of the city became known as “Sniper Alley”, where daily life unfolded under constant threat of sniper fire.

Bosnian Serb militias, under the leadership of Radovan Karadžić, imposed the siege and systematically targeted civilians. Karadžić was convicted in 2016 by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for genocide and crimes against humanity.

New footage from 1992 to 1995 showing Bosnian Serb snipers targeting civilians emerged in 2021, documenting atrocities committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Some witness accounts from the war period mention that “foreign nationals traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the conflict to kill civilians under siege in Sarajevo.”

Initiation of the Investigation

Sarajevo Human Safari Investigation was launched in February 2025 following a criminal complaint submitted by Italian journalist and author Ezio Gavazzeni to the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office. Gavazzeni alleged that during the war, certain Italian citizens participated in “weekend sniper” activities alongside Bosnian Serb militias.

In his complaint, Gavazzeni stated that certain groups composed of “wealthy, gun-enthusiastic, and far-right individuals” traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina during the 1990s.

The complaint submitted in February consisted of 17 pages. The complaint was reviewed by Milan’s Chief Prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis, and an official investigation was opened in October of the same year. The investigation is based on the charge of murder with savage cruelty and malicious intent.

Among the documents supporting the investigation is an email correspondence between Gavazzeni and an official from the Bosnian Military Security Service in November 2024, in which information was shared regarding the identities of certain Italians who operated alongside Bosnian Serb militias during the war.

Two lawyers, Nicola Brigida and Guido Salvini, contributed to preparing the case. Brigida is a lawyer who has worked on human rights cases in Latin America, and Salvini is a former judge who has handled cases involving Italy’s “Gladio” and far-right terrorist networks.

According to statements by the prosecution, the file was formally accepted due to “sufficient evidence and testimony,” and the investigation has been assigned to the Carabinieri’s Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Unit (Raggruppamento Operativo Speciale – ROS).

The investigation was initiated to identify individuals involved in the events in Bosnia. Prosecutor Gobbis stated this objective clearly: “We hope to establish the identities of some of those responsible.”

Nature of the Allegations

According to documents in the investigation, some wealthy individuals are alleged to have participated in activities described as “human safaris” during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. It is claimed that these individuals, in collaboration with Bosnian Serb militias, fired upon civilians on weekends.

It is alleged that Italian and other nationals gathered in the city of Trieste, then traveled to hills controlled by Bosnian Serb forces, where they fired on civilians alongside militias. It is said that these individuals departed from Trieste on Friday evenings, spent the weekend with Serb forces in Sarajevo, and returned to Italy shortly afterward. These individuals are described as non-combatants, mostly labeled as “radical far-right war tourists.”

According to statements in the investigation file, participants were transported from Trieste to positions held by Bosnian Serb militias. It is alleged that participants paid substantial sums of money to take part in these activities. According to information published in the newspaper La Repubblica, these payments amounted to 80,000 to 100,000 euros in today’s value.

Some witness statements suggest the existence of a “price list” for civilian targets, with shooting children reportedly carrying the highest price.

One of the witnesses named in the investigation is former Bosnian intelligence officer Edin Subašić. Subašić stated that during the interrogation of a captured Serb soldier in 1993, he learned that certain Italians had participated in these activities. He also indicated that SISMI, Italy’s military intelligence agency, prepared a report concluding that these trips should be halted.

Documents, Witnesses, and Evidence Process

Documents gathered in the investigation include the 17-page criminal complaint prepared by Italian journalist and author Ezio Gavazzeni, statements from Bosnian and Slovenian intelligence officials, witness testimonies, and recordings from the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari.

The documents indicate that Edin Subašić, an official from Bosnia’s intelligence service, informed Italy’s military intelligence agency SISMI in 1993 about the trips originating in Trieste and that these activities had been identified and stopped. The investigation file also contains information suggesting that classified documents related to these events exist in SISMI’s archives.

Among the witnesses are not only Bosnian intelligence officers but also a firefighter injured during the war and several civilian victims. One testimony in the documents states that Italian intelligence received information on the matter in 1993 but took no action.

Some of the witnesses identified by the prosecution have been summoned to testify. Their statements indicate that at least five Italian citizens from Milan, Turin, and Trieste participated in the events, and that one of them was the owner of a private aesthetic surgery clinic who operated alongside Bosnian Serb militias during the war.

Additionally, the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari, directed by Slovenian filmmaker Miran Zupanič, includes testimonies from two witnesses regarding these allegations.

International Reactions and Expansion of the Investigation

Following the investigation in Italy, similar inquiries have been initiated in other countries. In the United States, Representative Anna Paulina Luna announced on 14 November 2025 via her social media account that her office would investigate whether any Americans paid to kill civilians during the Siege of Sarajevo.

Luna stated she is in contact with the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Italian Embassy, adding that “both the Italian and Bosnian governments will share any information regarding Americans potentially involved.”

Luna also stated, “Paying to shoot civilians—and worse, paying to shoot children—is a level of cruelty our country cannot tolerate.”

In Belgium, former judge of the International Criminal Court and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Chris Van den Wyngaert, stated on 17 November 2025 that if Belgian citizens are found to have participated in “sniper tourism” in Sarajevo, the Belgian prosecution could open an investigation.

Wyngaert noted that such crimes could be classified as crimes against humanity and are not subject to statutes of limitations. He also stated that during his tenure, he had never encountered any evidence related to such allegations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities have expressed support for the Italian investigation. Former mayor of Sarajevo Benjamina Karić said, “We want to uncover the truth and come to terms with the past in such a cruel matter.” Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Consul General in Milan, Dag Dumrukçiç, also confirmed that his country’s investigative authorities will cooperate fully with the Italian probe.

Developments in 2026

Opening of Investigation Against First Suspect (4 February 2026)

Under the investigation conducted by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was announced that as of February 2026, an official investigation has been opened against one individual.

The suspect, described as an 80-year-old former truck driver accused of participating in activities known as “weekend snipers,” has been summoned for questioning on charges of murder with savage cruelty and malicious intent. It was confirmed that the investigation is being conducted by the Carabinieri’s Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Unit (ROS).

The prosecution announced that it has begun examining passport records, border entry and exit documents, and flight data from 1992 to 1995 to identify travel from Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The review is focused particularly on the Turin–Milan–Trieste route. Authorities stated that multiple individuals are under investigation and that the number of suspects may increase.

Suspect’s Statement Before Prosecution (9 February 2026)

The suspect named in the investigation gave a statement before the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office on 9 February 2026. During his approximately one-hour testimony, he denied ever traveling to Sarajevo and rejected all allegations against him.

The suspect’s lawyer stated that his client has no connection to the allegations. The decision to summon him was based on testimony from a female witness who previously worked with him at a metalworking company and claimed he traveled to Sarajevo in the 1990s to participate in “human hunting.” It was also made public that at least five other individuals in Turin, Milan, and Trieste are under investigation.

As of February 2026, it was confirmed that the investigation is still active and that the case file is being expanded based on new witness statements and archival documents. Prosecutors stated that investigations continue through historical intelligence records and international judicial cooperation channels.