Italian Elderly Suspect Placed Under Probe for Alleged Sarajevo Sniper Tourism

Italy Investigates 80-Year-Old Suspect Over Alleged Sarajevo ‘Sniper Tourism’

Milan prosecutors have launched an investigation into alleged “sniper tourism” involving foreigners who paid Bosnian Serb forces during the Siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. The inquiry centers around a former truck driver, now aged 80 and living near Pordenone in northern Italy.

This case emerged after local journalist Ezio Gavazzeni filed a legal complaint based on allegations by a documentary filmmaker who exposed similar practices as “Sarajevo Safari.” Gavazzeni noted that wealthy foreigners reportedly paid substantial sums to participate in shooting excursions, with Italians often meeting in Trieste before traveling to Belgrade, where Bosnian Serb soldiers facilitated their access to hilltops overlooking the besieged city.

Survivors have expressed hope that the Italian investigation will lead to justice for those affected by these atrocities. Prosecutors have placed an elderly man under investigation as part of this probe, charging him with several counts of premeditated murder exacerbated by base motives. The suspect faces questioning on February 9th and remains at liberty pending further proceedings.

The Siege of Sarajevo claimed the lives of approximately 11,000 civilians due to shelling and sniper fire from Bosnian Serb positions during the conflict that followed Bosnia’s declaration of independence in 1992.