AssetID: 55265814
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Italy Launches Probe Into Alleged “Sniper Safaris” During Bosnian War
Caption: Italy Launches Probe Into Alleged “Sniper Safaris” During Bosnian War. Italian prosecutors in Milan have opened an investigation into claims that Italian citizens paid to shoot civilians in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1990s war. The shocking allegations describe so-called “sniper safaris” around Sarajevo, where wealthy foreigners reportedly targeted defenceless civilians for money. Journalist and novelist Ezio Gavazzeni filed the complaint, describing a “manhunt” carried out by armed tourists who allegedly paid different rates to kill men, women, or children. More than 11,000 people were killed during the four-year siege of Sarajevo, one of the bloodiest episodes of the Bosnian War. Evidence gathered by Gavazzeni — including testimony from a Bosnian military intelligence officer — is now under review by Milan’s counterterrorism prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis. The officer claimed his team discovered the safaris in 1993 and alerted Italy’s military intelligence agency, which allegedly confirmed flights from Trieste to the hills above Sarajevo. According to reports, Italian intelligence later told Bosnian officials that the trips had been stopped within months. Gavazzeni revisited the case after watching the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari by Slovenian filmmaker Miran Zupanič, which alleged the participation of foreigners from Italy, the U.S., and Russia. The journalist’s 17-page dossier, reportedly including a report from former Sarajevo mayor Benjamina Karić, was submitted to prosecutors earlier this year. While British soldiers stationed in Sarajevo at the time called the allegations “an urban myth,” Italian authorities continue to seek witnesses to determine whether “sniper tourism” truly occurred. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: Current Affairs & Politics,Italy,Milan prosecutors,Bosnia-Herzegovina,Sarajevo,Ezio Gavazzeni,sniper safaris,Bosnian War,Sarajevo siege,Alessandro Gobbis,Bosnian intelligence,Sismi,Miran Zupanič,Sarajevo Safari,Benjamina Karić,Trieste flights,Radovan Karadžić,Eduard Limonov,La Repubblica,Ansa,murder investigation,sniper tourism allegations,Bosnian conflict,war crimes,international tribunal,1990s Balkans,witnesses,counterterrorism probe,human rights,international justice,journalism,military history,Balkans conflict,post-war investigation,genocide,civilian targeting,European politics,international law,historical accountability,ethics of warfare,armed conflict,global justice,documentary evidence,truth-seeking,media investigation,crime against humanity,wartime atrocities,historical research,law enforcement,global security,human rights violations,justice system
PersonInImage: