Probe centres on Italians who allegedly paid to shoot civilians ‘for fun’ during Siege of Sarajevo.
Milan prosecutors have opened an investigation into allegations that Italian citizens paid large sums of money to join the Bosnian Serb military and shoot civilians in Sarajevo “for fun” during the Bosnian War in the early 1990s.
The enquiry, opened by prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis, is investigating charges of “voluntary homicide aggravated by cruelty and abject motives”, as reported by Italian newspapers Il Giorno and La Repubblica.
The probe will seek to identify the so-called “weekend snipers” who participated in the Siege of Sarajevo, during which more than 11,000 people were killed between 1992 and 1996.
The Italian individuals accused of being involved in the killings – according to testimonies gathered in northern Italy – were mainly “far-right sympathisers with a passion for weapons”, according to media reports.
They would gather in the north-eastern city of Trieste before being taken to the hills surrounding Sarajevo where they were permitted to fire on the population of the besieged city after allegedly paying Bosnian Serb militias.
Complaint
The case stems from a complaint filed in January by journalist and writer Ezio Gavazzeni, with the assistance of two lawyers and former magistrate Guido Salvini.
The 17-page complaint reconstructs a series of testimonies and contacts with Bosnian sources who, as early as 1993, reported the presence of Italian citizens in the hills surrounding Sarajevo.
Gavazzeni reports an email exchange with a former member of the Bosnian military intelligence services who claims to have informed officials belonging to Italy’s foreign intelligence services (at the time known as SISMI, now AISE) about the presence of at least five Italians serving as “snipers.”
The complaint includes a claim that “one witness reported that among them were Italians: a man from Turin, one from Milan, and the last from Trieste”.
‘Sniper-hunters’
Gavazzeni cites a Bosnian intelligence report about the presence of armed foreigners, including Italians, in the hills surrounding the city in 1993.
A former Bosnian intelligence official reported sharing details with his Italian counterparts in the SISMI on the activities of these “sniper-hunters,” who arrived in Sarajevo through contacts in Belgrade and were allegedly provided with “cover”to justify their travels, in the form of hunting activities.
Their travel arrangements were allegedly supported by networks linked to the Serbian security service, with logistical support provided by companies in the former Yugoslavia.
Investigators will seek to verify the authenticity of the documents in the complaint which reportedly includes a reference to an alleged “tariff” for killings, with differences between civilians, military personnel and children.
Sarajevo Safari
Among the files attached to the complaint is the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari by Slovenian director Miran Zupanic, which examines the phenomenon of “war tourists.”
The film features anonymous testimonies describing the presence of wealthy foreigners – allegedly including Italians – who secretly paid to shoot at city residents during the Siege of Sarajevo.
With preliminary investigations underway, the Milan prosecutor’s office has reportedly not yet ordered any interviews or formally entered any individuals in the register of suspects.
Photo credit: Northfoto / Shutterstock.com.
