Rich Westerners Paid to Shoot Civilians and Children in Sarajevo And New Footage Pulls Serbia’s President Into the Horror
A dark chapter from the Bosnian War resurfaced this week with explosive allegations that wealthy foreign tourists paid tens of thousands of dollars to shoot at Sarajevo civilians, including children, during the 1992–1996 siege. Now, new footage and sworn testimony are dragging Serbia’s sitting president, Aleksandar Vučić, into the center of the scandal.
“There is more and more evidence that Aleksandar Vučić was part of the ‘sniper safari’ during the siege of Sarajevo.” — Serbian lawyer Čedomir Stojković
A Siege That Became a Hunting Ground
The siege of Sarajevo, the longest of a capital city in modern warfare, left more than 10,000 people dead under relentless shelling and sniper fire from Bosnian Serb forces positioned in the hills above the city. What the world did not know at the time was that, according to new Italian investigative findings, outsiders may have been paying for the privilege of killing civilians as a form of macabre tourism. Italian journalist Ezio Gavazzeni uncovered evidence of “human safaris” in which wealthy foreigners from the U.K., Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the U.S., and Canada allegedly paid £70,000 to £88,000 to fire on Sarajevo residents. Prices were reportedly higher when children were the intended targets.
“The clients came from many countries… Why did no country ever launch an investigation? Maybe because they were powerful, wealthy, and socially influential individuals.” — Ezio Gavazzeni, investigative journalist, El Mundo
Following Gavazzeni’s revelations, prosecutors in Milan opened a probe, describing the allegations as credible and internationally significant.
The Accusations Against Serbia’s President
The newest shockwave came when Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetić submitted a formal complaint alleging that Aleksandar Vučić, now Serbia’s president, not only participated in the sniper outings but helped organize them. Central to the claim is footage from 1993, reportedly filmed on the frontline at the Jewish cemetery overlooking Sarajevo, a notorious position used by snipers targeting civilians. The video appears to show Vučić holding a sniper rifle among armed Serb fighters. Vučić insists the object was an umbrella, a defense that Bosnian officials and wartime witnesses have condemned as absurd.
Testimony Suggests He Fired on Civilians
Bosnia’s current defense minister, Zukan Helez, told The Sarajevo Times that multiple former VRS fighters admitted being stationed with Vučić at the cemetery and that Vučić fired on civilians:
“His excuse that he was holding an umbrella, not a rifle, is a blatant lie.” — Zukan Helez, Defense Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Helez said three VRS soldiers recently confirmed Vučić’s presence and participation in sniper fire.
Claims of Volunteering and Military Involvement
Margetić further alleges that Vučić spent 1992–93 as a “war volunteer,” serving with the New Sarajevo Chetnik Detachment under commander Slavko Aleksić, a unit prosecutors at The Hague have linked to sniper operations from the cemetery.
Supporting evidence includes:
• A reported 1994 interview in Duga magazine where Vučić said he “went to Serbian Sarajevo and signed up as a volunteer.”
• Testimony from Vojislav Šešelj, founder of the Serbian Radical Party, who told The Hague in 2013 that Vučić belonged to a Serb detachment in Sarajevo.
• Court summaries from the SENSE Transitional Justice Centre noting “ample evidence” that Aleksić commanded SRS volunteers operating sniper positions at the cemetery.
Vučić Denies Everything
Aleksandar Vučić calls all accusations fabrications. He maintains that:
• He never fired a shot.
• The object in the footage is “an umbrella.”
• He was a young journalist working in Pale, not a fighter.
• Any suggestion of participating in sniper tourism is “insane.”
But critics say the denials contradict video evidence, wartime accounts, and the president’s own past statements.
Did Vučić Help Facilitate “Human Safaris”?
The most disturbing allegation is that Vučić did more than observe the violence, that he acted as a translator and intermediary between Serb units and foreign “hunters.” Margetić claims Vučić “helped run” the operation, a claim now included in the formal complaint to Milan prosecutors. Serbian lawyer Čedomir Stojković has publicly backed the accusations and is pressuring Serbia’s courts to open their own investigation.
“Vučić absolutely knew what was going on, and he was a part of it, one way or another.” — Čedomir Stojković, Serbian attorney
An International Scandal in Motion
The allegations have triggered shock across Europe. If confirmed, the findings would expose a hidden war-crimes market in the West, one that allowed wealthy thrill-seekers to kill civilians with impunity. It would also link a sitting head of state to one of the most grotesque atrocities of the Bosnian War. The Milan investigation is ongoing. So is the political fallout in the Balkans.
This story is developing.
Sources
• El Mundo reporting by Ezio Gavazzeni (Human Safari investigation)
https://www.elmundo.es/cronica/2025/02/09/67a8c2a7e4d4d8e53e8b45a1.html
• The Sarajevo Times – Statements from Bosnia’s Defense Minister Zukan Helez
https://sarajevotimes.com
• SENSE Transitional Justice Centre – Summaries of Hague findings on Slavko Aleksić and SRS volunteers
https://sensecentar.org
• AP News – Background on Aleksandar Vučić and wartime activity claims
https://apnews.com
• EPA / AP photo archives (Vučić, Putin, Sarajevo wartime imagery)
https://www.epa.eu
https://apimages.com
• YouTube – 1993 footage referenced by Domagoj Margetić (Jewish Cemetery frontline clip)
https://www.youtube.com
• Duga Magazine (archival 1994 interview referenced in filings)
(Archived content accessible through regional library and scanned collections)
https://www.digitalna.rs
• Milan Prosecutor’s Office – Confirmation of ongoing investigation
https://www.procura.milano.it
