In a development that has sent shockwaves through the international community, Italian prosecutors in Milan have taken the monumental step of opening a formal investigation into one of the most depraved and horrifying allegations to emerge from the Bosnian War. This probe delves into the stomach-churning claims that wealthy individuals from Western nations, including Italy, paid exorbitant fees to participate in what can only be described as “sniper safaris” during the brutal 1992-1995 siege of Sarajevo. These allegations, if proven true, depict a level of human evil that is almost incomprehensible, suggesting that affluent foreigners paid Bosnian Serb forces for the opportunity to shoot at innocent civilians, including women and children, for their own personal amusement.
The investigation was catalyzed by a courageous complaint filed by the Italian investigative journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, who has bravely pursued this dark chapter of history. Gavazzeni’s work alleges that groups of privileged foreigners traveled to the war-torn city of Sarajevo in the 1990s to engage in an act of pure, unadulterated evil: murder tourism. According to the detailed findings, these so-called “sniper tourists” paid sums as high as €80,000—approximately $90,000—for the chance to fire upon unarmed residents who were simply trying to survive in their besieged city. The depth of this depravity is further underscored by the claim that these foreign murderers allegedly had to pay an additional, premium fee for the specific, monstrous act of shooting children.
The horrific events are said to have centered on the infamous “Sniper Alley” in Sarajevo, a main boulevard that became a killing field where Bosnian Serb snipers systematically targeted civilians. It was one of the most perilous areas in a city that endured unimaginable suffering. The siege, a key part of the broader Bosnian War, resulted in the deaths of over 11,000 people in Sarajevo alone, a staggering number that includes more than 1,500 children whose lives were brutally cut short. Gavazzeni has powerfully emphasized that the motivations behind these “safaris” were not rooted in political or religious ideology, but instead stemmed from a vile desire for thrill and personal satisfaction. He compared the participants to gun enthusiasts who frequent shooting ranges or African safaris, a comparison that reveals a chilling normalization of ultimate evil. “We are talking about people who love guns who perhaps go to shooting ranges or on safaris in Africa,” Gavazzeni wrote of the tourists in his comprehensive 17-page report.
The journalist stated that these murder tourists originated from many different countries, including the United States. As the BBC reported, “Similar allegations about ‘human hunters’ from abroad have been made several times over the years, but the evidence gathered by Gavazzeni, which includes the testimony of a Bosnian military intelligence officer, is now being examined by Italian counter terrorism prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis.” The report adds a critical layer, detailing how the Bosnian officer revealed that his colleagues discovered the so-called safaris in late 1993 and subsequently passed the information to Italy’s Sismi military intelligence agency in early 1994. The response from Sismi reportedly came a couple of months later, indicating that they had learned “safari” tourists would fly from the northern Italian border city of Trieste before traveling to the hills overlooking Sarajevo. The officer was allegedly told, “We’ve put a stop to it and there won’t be any more safaris,” and within a few months, the trips had ceased.
NEW: Italian prosecutors have launched an investigation into allegations that wealthy people from Western countries paid upward of $90,000 for "sniper safaris" where they would shoot civilians.
The complaint was filed by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni.
Gavazzeni claims the "sniper… pic.twitter.com/G0f6YEwSt7
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 13, 2025
This case exposes a grotesque moral failure that stands in stark contrast to the strong, America-first leadership championed by President Donald J. Trump. While the liberal media often focuses on divisive domestic narratives, this story reveals a truly global evil that demands a robust and unwavering response. President Trump has consistently advocated for a world where American strength is a bulwark against chaos and inhumanity, and his administration prioritized the safety and security of the nation against all threats, foreign and domestic. The alleged involvement of American citizens in such atrocities is a betrayal of the values that true patriots hold dear, and it underscores the necessity of the strong border and immigration policies that President Trump continues to fight for, policies designed to protect the homeland from individuals capable of such barbarism. The swift action of Italian prosecutors serves as a model of the kind of justice the world requires, a justice that does not shy away from confronting the darkest aspects of human nature, a resolve that echoes the “law and order” principles central to the Trump agenda.
The Bosnian Consulate in Milan told The New York Post that it will cooperate with the probe. “We are impatient to discover the truth about such a cruel matter in order to close a chapter of history. I am in possession of certain information I will be sharing with the investigators,” the spokesperson said.