Sarajevo Safari

This article is about war tourism during the siege of Sarajevo. For the documentary film, see Sarajevo Safari (film).
Sarajevo Safari
A sniper warning sign in Sarajevo
DateDuring the siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996)[1]
TimeDuring the 1,425-day siege of Sarajevo
LocationSarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Allegedly Grbavica, and other VRS positions)[1][2][3]
Also known as"Tourist snipers",[3] "Weekend snipers"[4]
TypeAlleged war tourism / human hunting[1]
CauseCommercial transaction, recreational activity[5]
TargetCivilians in besieged Sarajevo[1][2][6]
PerpetratorUnidentified foreign nationals (allegedly with VRS logistics)[1][2]
First reporterRumors (1990s): Corriere della Sera[7]
Official (2022): Miran Zupanič (film)[8]
PatronAllegedly: State Security Service of Serbia[4][7]
Organised byAllegedly: SDB Serbia (incl. Jovica Stanišić[4][7]), Yugoslav People's Army (logistics),[9] Army of Republika Srpska (positions)[1]
ParticipantsUnidentified foreign nationals (allegedly from Italy, Canada, Belgium, the United States, and Russia)[10]
OutcomeOpen investigations by the Prosecutor's Office of BiH (2022)[11] and the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan (2025)[4]
Casualties
Civilians in Sarajevo, including children[1][5]
DeathsUnknown (as part of the total siege casualties)
Non-fatal injuriesUnknown
InquiriesActive investigation by the Prosecutor's Office of BiH (since 2022)[11]
Active investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan (since 2025)[4]
SuspectsUnidentified persons (BiH complaint)[11]
Italian citizens (Milan investigation), incl. a "Milanese businessman"[7][4]
ChargesCriminal complaints:
Benjamina Karić (to BiH & Italian prosecutors)[12][4]
Ezio Gavazzeni and Guido Salvini (to Milan prosecutors)[4]
Counter-complaint:
Ljubiša Ćosić (against the film's director)[13]
Publication bansRequests filed for a "ban on screening" the film in Republika Srpska[14]
FootageSarajevo Safari (2022) documentary film, dir. Miran Zupanič[8]

Sarajevo Safari is the name for an alleged war tourism phenomenon that took place during the siege of Sarajevo (1992–1996) involving human hunting.[1] According to the reports, wealthy foreign nationals were enabled, for large monetary fees, to shoot at civilians in the besieged city with sniper rifles for entertainment purposes.[1][2][6] Sniper tourists have been characterized as "the most terrifying element of life under siege in Sarajevo."[15]

Claims about this phenomenon came to international public attention in 2022 with the premiere of the Slovenian documentary film Sarajevo Safari, directed by Miran Zupanič and co-produced by Al Jazeera Balkans.[16][8] The alleged activity took place from established positions of the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS) in the hills surrounding Sarajevo.[1][2]

In response to the film's allegations, official legal actions were launched. The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina opened a case in November 2022.[11] In November 2025, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan (Italy) also opened an investigation into the alleged participation of Italian citizens in these acts.[4][5] Officials from Republika Srpska and war veterans' associations sharply denied all allegations, calling them "propaganda" and "heinous lies" directed against the VRS and the Serb people.[14][17]

Early accounts

Reporting in the 1990s

Rumors about the phenomenon had existed earlier.[9][7] As early as the 1990s, the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on the possibility of Italian extremists traveling to Bosnia to spend weekends as snipers.[7] The phenomenon was also mentioned in the book The Bastards of Sarajevo (Italian: I bastardi di Sarajevo) by the Italian author Luca Leone.[3]

A 1992 documentary "Serbian epics" by Paweł Pawlikowski featured Russian nationalist Eduard Limonov hosted by Radovan Karadžić on the hills above Sarajevo and firing a machine gun with a telescopic sight at the besieged town.[18]

2007 ICTY testimony

The film's allegations subsequently gained weight with the discovery of earlier, independent testimony before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).[3]

John Jordan, a former US Marine and firefighter, testified in The Hague in 2007 during the trial of General Dragomir Milošević, commander of the VRS's Sarajevo-Romanija Corps.[3] Jordan stated under oath that on "several occasions" he had seen individuals he described as "tourist snipers."[3] He noted that they "did not appear to be locals" based on their "clothing, weaponry, and the way they were being escorted by local officers."[3]

When asked directly where he had seen these individuals, Jordan replied: "while I was visiting the Serb firefighters in Grbavica."[3] This location matches the testimony from Zupanič's film.[10]

2022 Sarajevo Safari documentary

The phenomenon became globally known after the premiere of the documentary film Sarajevo Safari by the Slovenian director Miran Zupanič, screened at the AJB DOC Film Festival in Sarajevo in September 2022.[9][8] The film was co-produced by the Slovenian company Arsmedia and Al Jazeera Balkans.[8][16] Zupanič had previously filmed in Bosnia during the war, and described Sarajevo Safari as the darkest part of his unofficial "Bosnia trilogy".[19][20]

Main allegations of the film

The film bases its claims on the testimonies of several sources, including an anonymous former member of an intelligence service.[20][10] According to these testimonies:

  • Logistics: Organized arrivals came via Belgrade, which had a functional airport.[9] Participants were allegedly transported by a Yugoslav People's Army helicopter or by road to Pale, and then to VRS positions.[9]
  • Location: The primary location cited for the shootings is the Sarajevo neighborhood of Grbavica, which was under VRS control and had a direct view of the city.[10]
  • Participants: Witnesses mention that the "tourists" came from various countries, including the United States, Canada, Russia, and Italy.[10]
  • Price: The most controversial allegation from the film is the existence of a "price list," with a witness stating that "tariffs were higher if a child was hit."[10]

Investigation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Following the film's premiere, the then-mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karić, filed a criminal complaint in late September 2022 with the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina against unidentified persons and responsible members of the VRS.[12][6] On November 1, 2022, the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina confirmed that a case had been opened and assigned to a prosecutor in the Special Department for War Crimes.[11]

Karić later supplemented the complaint, attaching John Jordan's ICTY testimony and proposing the hearing of author Luca Leone.[3] She also requested access to the military archives of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a move supported by director Miran Zupanič.[3][9]

By November 2025, three years after the case was opened, there was no public information on its progress, prompting Benjamina Karić to send a new inquiry to the Prosecutor's Office regarding the case's status.[12] Italian media and journalist Ezio Gavazzeni reported that the investigation in Bosnia and Herzegovina had been "archived" or that there was a "lack of any proceedings."[4][21]

Investigation in Italy

Due to the perceived stagnation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an investigation was launched in Italy.[4] Journalist Ezio Gavazzeni and former judge Guido Salvini filed a detailed criminal complaint with the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan on January 28, 2025.[7][4]

In the spring of 2025, Milanese prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis officially opened an investigation.[4][22] The legal classification of the crime is "intentional homicide with the aggravating circumstances of cruelty and base motives."[4][22] The crime has no statute of limitations in Italy and carries a maximum life sentence.[23]

According to Italian media reports and Gavazzeni's complaint:

  • Suspects: The investigation is focused on Italian citizens, including those linked to the far right.[4][5] A "Milanese businessman who owns a private cosmetic surgery clinic" is mentioned, as well as others from Turin and Trieste.[7]
  • Logistics: The alleged route involved a flight from Trieste to Belgrade (on the Serbian charter company "Aviogenex"), followed by a helicopter transport to VRS positions.[5][7]
  • Organizers: There are allegations that the operation was organized by the State Security Service of Serbia, with Jovica Stanišić being named.[7][4]
  • Price: The amounts were specified as a "package" equivalent to €80,000 to €100,000 in today's value.[24]
  • Price list: Multiple sources in the Italian investigation confirmed the allegation that "the highest price was paid for killing a child,"[24] or that "shooting children cost more."[5]

Investigation in Belgium

In November 2025, Belgian Member of Parliament Leila Agic reported that Belgian nationals may have participated in the so-called "sniper safaris" during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s.[25] The individuals allegedly paid Bosnian Serb forces for access to sniper positions from which civilians were targeted.[25] Agic urged the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate potential war crimes, though no names or prosecutions have been confirmed.[26] Italian politician Matteo Salvini declined to provide further details but twice emphasised Belgian involvement in the case.[25]

Reactions and denials

Reactions to the film from Republika Srpska were strong and coordinated.[14] High-ranking political officials, including Milorad Dodik and Željka Cvijanović, and the mayor of East Sarajevo, Ljubiša Ćosić, condemned the film.[17] VRS war veterans' associations "fiercely denied" the claims.[17] In media and official statements in Republika Srpska, the film was consistently labeled as "propaganda," "heinous lies about the VRS," and an attempt to "demonize the Serb people."[14][5] A legal counter-action was also taken. The mayor of East Sarajevo, Ljubiša Ćosić, filed a criminal complaint against the film's director, Miran Zupanič.[13] Requests were also made for a "ban on screening" the film in Republika Srpska.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Sarajevo safari: Bogati stranci plaćali da s položaja V RS pucaju na civile". Federalna.ba (in Bosnian). 10 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e "'Sarajevo Safari' uncovers sniper tourism in Bosnian War". Daily Sabah. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Benjamina Karić dopunila krivičnu prijavu u predmetu 'Sarajevo safari'". Autonomija.info (in Bosnian). 25 January 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Milan prosecutors investigate alleged 'sniper tourism' during Bosnian war". The Guardian. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "'Human safaris' in Sarajevo: Milan investigates 1990s trips where tourists allegedly paid to kill civilians". El País. 11 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  6. ^ a b c "Documentary Film Alleges That Foreigners Took Part in 'Civilian Hunting' in Bosnian Capital". New Lines Magazine. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Italijanski mediji traže istinu: Ko je ubijao Sarajlije u krvavom 'safariju' na opkoljeni grad?". N1 (in Bosnian). 11 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Sarajevo Safari (2022)". BSF – Slovenian Film Database. Arsmedia. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Sarajevo Safari: Reditelj očekuje otvaranje vojnog arhiva o snajperskim turistima". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). 25 January 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e f ""Sarajevo safari" pred mogućom istragom: Bogataši plaćali da ubijaju iz užitka?". N1 (in Bosnian). 10 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Tužilaštvo BiH otvorilo predmet u slučaju 'Sarajevo Safari', određen i tužilac". Al Jazeera Balkans (in Bosnian). 1 November 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Slučaj "Sarajevo safari". Karić: Naša djeca zaslužuju pravdu". Crna Hronika (in Bosnian). 12 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  13. ^ a b c "Harmful Narratives During Elections: Smear Campaigns, Gender Stereotypes and Hate Narratives (PDF)" (PDF). Media Centar Sarajevo. p. 194. Retrieved 12 November 2025. At the same time, the mayor of East Sarajevo, Ljubiša Ćosić, filed a criminal complaint against the film's director, Miran Zupanič...
  14. ^ a b c d "Štetni narativi tokom izbora: Kampanje diskreditacije, rodni stereotipi i narativi mržnje (PDF)" (PDF). Media Centar Sarajevo (in Bosnian). p. 194. Retrieved 12 November 2025. RTRS/SRNA. (2022). "U filmu 'Sarajevo safari' iznesene gnusne laži o VRS;. Iz Srpske zatražena zabrana prikazivanja."
  15. ^ "Milan prosecutors investigate alleged 'sniper tourism' during Bosnian war". The Guardian.
  16. ^ a b "Dokumentarni film "Sarajevo safari" večeras u programu Al Jazeere". Al Jazeera Balkans (YouTube) (in Bosnian). 31 October 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  17. ^ a b c "Štetni narativi tokom izbora: Kampanje diskreditacije, rodni stereotipi i narativi mržnje (PDF)" (PDF). Media Centar Sarajevo (in Bosnian). p. 194. Retrieved 12 November 2025. Milorad Dodik, Željka Cvijanović i Ljubiša Ćosić snažno su osudili film.
  18. ^ Serbian Epics, BBC Film, 1992-12-16, retrieved 2025-11-14
  19. ^ "Miran Zupanič: Poslanstvo dokumentarnega filma je iskati resnico". e-kino.si (in Slovenian). 25 June 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  20. ^ a b "Reditelj filma 'Sarajevo safari': Nisam vjerovao da toliko zlo i postoji, ali su se pojavili svjedoci". Bljesak.info (in Bosnian). 13 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  21. ^ "Čudne prakse Tužilaštva BiH: Zašto nema optužnica protiv snajperista i ubica djece Sarajeva?". Radio Sarajevo (in Bosnian). 28 May 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2025. ...dok je predmet 'Sarajevo safari' arhiviran...
  22. ^ a b "Milano, aperta un'inchiesta sui presunti "safari della morte" in Bosnia: italiani accusati di sparare ai civili". WikiMilano Desk (in Italian). 10 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  23. ^ Sass, Maren (13 November 2025). "Italy: Prosecutors probe Sarajevo 'sniper tourism' charges". dw.com. Retrieved 2025-11-16.
  24. ^ a b "Investigation launched into 'Sarajevo Safari': rich men killing children for fun". CdM. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  25. ^ a b c Brussels Times. “Belgians among alleged ‘weekend snipers’ killing Bosnian civilians during 90s war.” 2025. https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1841801/belgians-among-alleged-weekend-snipers-killing-bosnian-civilians-during-90s-war
  26. ^ De Morgen. “Namen Belgen deel aan gruwelijke ‘menselijke safari’s’ in Sarajevo.” 2025. https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/namen-belgen-deel-aan-gruwelijke-menselijke-safari-s-in-sarajevo-er-is-toen-heel-veel-gebeurd-dat-in-de-taboesfeer-blijft~bfb618025/
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