Wealthy Italians Paid to Shoot Civilians During Sarajevo Siege

According to recent reports, prosecutors in Italy are investigating a disturbing case of "war tourism" that occurred during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. The investigation, opened by Milan prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis, seeks to identify Italians who may have paid the Bosnian Serb army to allow them to shoot at civilians for sport.

The investigation was prompted by a complaint filed by Italian journalist and writer Ezio Gavanezzi, who was contacted in August 2025 by the former mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic. Karic had filed her own complaint in Bosnia in 2022 after the broadcast of a documentary that revealed the alleged crimes.

The suspects, described as wealthy and right-wing gun enthusiasts, reportedly departed from Trieste, Italy, and were taken to the hills surrounding Sarajevo. There, they allegedly paid the Bosnian Serb forces up to the equivalent of 100,000 euros per day to shoot at civilians below them. Estimates suggest that at least 100, and possibly more, Italians may have participated in these "excursions."

The nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo, which began in April 1992, resulted in the deaths of 11,541 men, women, and children, with more than 50,000 wounded, according to official figures. The investigation into the alleged "war tourism" seeks to hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.