The launch of an investigation in Italy into allegations that foreigners paid to shoot at civilians during the siege of Sarajevo three decades ago has raised survivors' hopes that people will be brought to justice.

About 11,000 civilians were killed by shelling and sniper fire from Bosnian Serb army positions on hills around the besieged city during the 1992-95 war that followed Bosnia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia.

Milan prosecutors opened their investigation, a source said, after local journalist and novelist Ezio Gavazzeni filed a legal complaint over allegations that Italians and other foreigners had paid members of the Bosnian Serb forces to visit to shoot at civilians under what some referred to as "sniper tourism."

Gavazzeni said he had been inspired to look into the allegations after watching a 2022 documentary, "Sarajevo Safari," by Slovenian director Miran Zupanic.

Without providing any firm evidence, Gavazzeni said wealthy foreigners paid large sums of money to take part in the shooting trips. He said the Italians used to meet in the city of Trieste before travelling to Belgrade, where Bosnian Serb soldiers escorted them to the hills overlooking Sarajevo.

Edin Subasic, a retired Bosnian army intelligence officer who featured in Zupanic's documentary, said he learnt of the allegations that foreigners paid to shoot at civilians in 1993 from the testimony of a captured Bosnian Serb army soldier.

Subasic said Bosnian army intelligence had forwarded the allegations at the time to an Italian military intelligence agency.

Opening an investigation is a formality in Italy when such a legal complaint is filed, and no individual suspects have been named. But some Sarajevo residents welcomed the investigation even though it reopened old wounds.

Bosnian Serb wartime political leader Radovan Karadzic and his military commander Ratko Mladic were jailed for life for war crimes and crimes against humanity, but many Sarajevo residents want others brought to justice.

Former Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic said she hoped news of the Milan prosecutors' investigation would pave the way to Bosnian state prosecutors opening an investigation into former Bosnian Serb army commanders and individuals over the siege.

In a statement to Reuters, the Bosnian state prosecutor's office said it had not been contacted by the Milan prosecutors.

The Milan prosecutors have not commented on the case.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (NOVEMBER 13, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

1. VARIOUS VIEWS OF FORMER SNIPER’S NESTS AND CONCEALED MILITARY POSITIONS OF BOSNIAN SERBS’ ARMY ABOVE SARAJEVO CITY

2. PANORAMIC VIEW OF SARAJEVO CITY, HOUSES

3. VIEW OF HOLE IN CONCRETE WALL WHERE SNIPERS WERE POSITIONED DURING WAR

4. VIEW OF SARAJEVO CITY CENTRE, TRAFFIC JUNCTION, VEHICLES, BUILDINGS

5. SILHOUETTE OF MAN SEEN THROUGH SNIPER HOLE IN CONCRETE WALL

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) RETIRED BOSNIAN ARMY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OFFICER, SERVING IN THE 1990s, EDIN SUBASIC, SAYING:

“In 1993, I became aware of the "Sarajevo Safari" case upon receiving a statement for analysis from a captured Serbian soldier, a volunteer from Serbia. He testified regarding the presence of foreigners on the battlefield in Sarajevo, who, unlike numerous others, were not soldiers but civilians from Western countries, in this particular case - Italy. This was particularly noteworthy due to the unusual occurrence of civilians appearing at the war front equipped with hunting gear and very sophisticated equipment.”

7. VIEW FROM FORMER SNIPER POSITIONS OVERLOOKING SARAJEVO

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) RETIRED BOSNIAN ARMY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE OFFICER, SERVING IN THE 1990s, EDIN SUBASIC, SAYING:

“It was the first time we discovered the existence of a "safari" on people; specifically, that is, that these people who came to shoot at the citizens of Sarajevo, paid for the service to shoot, in contrast to other mercenaries who received daily allowances and additional benefits to combat alongside the Serbian forces. This was a novel phenomenon, and considering their Italian origin, we engaged with the Italian intelligence agencies that were then a part of UNPROFOR in Sarajevo. We provided the information and requested an investigation into this case. Shortly thereafter, around early 1994, we received a response indicating that a location in Italy had been identified as the source of the activities, which had been halted by the intervention of the Italian authorities.”

9. VARIOUS VIEWS FROM FORMER SNIPER POSITIONS OVERLOOKING SARAJEVO

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) MAYOR OF NOVO SARAJEVO, WHO IN 2022, AS MAYOR OF SARAJEVO, FILED LEGAL ACTION IN THE CASE OF FOREIGN SNIPERS, BENJAMINA KARIC, SAYING:

“In August 2025, I was contacted by the Italian journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, who had undertaken research in Milan and resolved to initiate this case with the Milan Prosecutor's Office. He asked that I file my criminal complaint and further materials to the Milan Prosecutor's Office through the Italian Embassy, which graciously offered its assistance, and I did.”

11. VIEW OF SARAJEVO CITY CEMETERY

12. MAN PRAYING BY TOMBSTONE

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Bosnian) MAYOR OF NOVO SARAJEVO, WHO IN 2022, AS MAYOR OF SARAJEVO, FILED LEGAL ACTION IN THE CASE OF FOREIGN SNIPERS, BENJAMINA KARIC, SAYING:

“I harbour a particular sentiment towards this issue and genuinely wish to believe that the initiated investigation and the case opening in Milan will, in some manner, assist the proceedings underway at the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I have faith in justice and institutions, and I hope that after 30 years, we will ultimately hold the those responsible accountable.”

14. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING

15. VARIOUS OF ROLLERS WITH NAMES OF KILLED CHILDREN AND CITIZENS OF SARAJEVO WITH DATES OF BIRTH AND DEATH

LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA (NOVEMBER 14, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

16. VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTARY “SARAJEVO SAFARI”, MIRAN ZUPANIC, WATCHING HIS FILM ON COMPUTER

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTARY “SARAJEVO SAFARI", MIRAN ZUPANIC, SAYING:

"There was a testimony of a former marine John Jordan, who in 2007 testified in the Hague about these people. He was a volunteer firefighter during the war in Sarajevo and was helping people on both sides. With his description, we can deduce that these people he called tourist shooters is the same phenomenon. He did not see anyone shoot, but he saw them coming to and from the positions. He said that this phenomenon was known to him from Beirut. Also, one fact that I believe is very important that this phenomenon was not only happening in Sarajevo during the siege but had an older history and I believe it happened in other war zones.”

18. ZUPANIC WATCHING HIS FILM ON COMPUTER

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Slovenian) DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTARY “SARAJEVO SAFARI", MIRAN ZUPANIC, SAYING: "We did not know about John Jordan when we were filming, so we based our film on two witnesses. On one Slovenian that was working for some American intelligence agency under the disguise of a journalist, he was present for a few of these shootings. And an informant from the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that as an analyst who was doing work on some documentations that pertain to a confession from a captured Serbian soldier. The document said that during the interrogation of this Serbian soldier he said that he was on a bus from Serbia to Sarajevo with 5 Italian tourists."

20. VARIOUS OF VIEW OF CEMETERY

21. SARAJEVO SKYLINE

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (FILE - JUNE 7, 1992) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

22. GOVERNMENT BUILDING HIT BY MORTAR FIRE

23. BURNING TOWERS

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (FILE - 1992-1994) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

24. BOSNIAN SERB TANK FIRING

25. EXPLOSION AS BUILDING IS SHELLED

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (FILE - OCTOBER 1994) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS - Access all)

26. CHILDREN STANDING NEAR U.N. ARMOURED CAR BEING SHOT BY SNIPER

SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA (FILE - MARCH 3, 1995) (REUTERS - Access all)

27. U.N. ARMOURED VEHICLE

28. VARIOUS OF BLOOD ON GROUND BESIDE VEHICLE

27. TRAM, BLOOD ON GROUND

28. VARIOUS OF BULLET HOLE IN TRAM

29. PEOPLE RUNNING TO AVOID SNIPER FIRE