Prosecutors in Milan have opened a formal investigation into disturbing allegations that wealthy individuals from Western countries, including Italy, paid substantial fees to participate in “sniper safaris” during the 1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo.
These claims suggest that participants paid Bosnian Serb forces to shoot at civilians, including women and children, for personal amusement.
The investigation was initiated following a complaint filed by Italian investigative journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, who alleges that groups of affluent foreigners traveled to Sarajevo in the 1990s to engage in murder tourism.
According to Gavazzeni, the “sniper tourists” paid up to €80,000 (approximately $90,000) for the opportunity to fire at unarmed residents risking their lives in the besieged city.
The foreign murderers allegedly had to pay extra to shoot children
The allegations center on the infamous “Sniper Alley” in Sarajevo, a main boulevard during the war where Bosnian Serb snipers targeted civilians, making it one of the most dangerous areas in the city. The siege, part of the broader Bosnian War, resulted in over 11,000 deaths in Sarajevo alone, including more than 1,500 children.
NEW: Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into allegations that wealthy people from Western countries paid upward of $90,000 for "sniper safaris" where they would shoot civilians.
The complaint was filed by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni.
Gavazzeni claims the "sniper… pic.twitter.com/G0f6YEwSt7
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 13, 2025