‘Sarajevo safari’ claims resurface in chilling war account

Book alleges wealthy foreigners paid to shoot civilians during siege

Disturbing allegations from the Bosnian war have resurfaced with renewed force, as a new book claims that wealthy “hunters” travelled to besieged Sarajevo to pay for the chance to shoot civilians — even competing to target the “most beautiful” women.

The claims centre on the Siege of Sarajevo, one of the longest and most brutal sieges in modern warfare. Between 1992 and 1995, more than 11,000 civilians were killed as Bosnian Serb forces surrounded the city, cutting off supplies and subjecting residents to relentless sniper fire and shelling.

‘Pay and shoot’ allegations detailed

In Pay and Shoot, Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetic cites documents allegedly compiled by Bosnian intelligence officer Nedzad Ugljen before his death in 1996. The files claim foreign nationals — including individuals from Europe and North America — paid tens of thousands of marks to join armed units and fire on civilians.

According to the book, different “targets” were assigned different prices, with women and even children allegedly commanding higher sums. The most shocking claim suggests participants competed over who could kill the most attractive an assertion that, if true, would rank among the most grotesque episodes of the conflict.

Long-running rumours and disputed testimony

These allegations are not entirely new. During proceedings at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, former US Marine John Jordan described seeing armed विदेशी individuals in civilian-military clothing being guided through sniper positions around the city.

Jordan testified that these did not appear to be local fighters, noting their unfamiliarity with the terrain and the نوع of weapons they carried. However, he admitted he never directly witnessed them firing shots — a gap that has long left the claims unproven in court.

Documentary adds fuel to claims

The controversy gained further traction with the 2022 documentary Sarajevo Safari by Miran Zupanič. The film features anonymous witnesses, including a former intelligence operative, who claimed to have seen participants transported to overlooking the city, where they allegedly fired at civilians with the help of spotters.

One witness described the scenes as “the peak of depravity,” alleging that some participants viewed the قتل as a form of thrill-seeking — a chilling extension of big-game hunting into human lives.

War crimes context and legal limits

The siege itself has been extensively documented and prosecuted. Bosnian Serb commander Dragomir Milošević was sentenced for orchestrating a campaign of terror against Sarajevo’s civilian population, including sniper attacks designed to spread fear.

Yet the specific claims of organised “sniper tourism” remain legally unproven. Serbian veterans and other parties have denied the allegations, and no court has conclusively established that such a system existed.

Investigations and unanswered questions

Italian authorities reportedly reopened inquiries into the claims in 2025, reflecting persistent interest in uncovering the truth. Survivors and investigators hope that newly surfaced documents may finally clarify whether these were isolated rumours, exaggerations — or evidence of something far darker.

A shadow over an already brutal war

Even without these allegations, the Siege of Sarajevo stands as a symbol of warfare’s toll on civilians. If proven, the idea that outsiders paid to participate in that suffering would add a deeply disturbing dimension — suggesting that, for some, the war was not just a tragedy, but a spectacle.

SOURCE

Ambivalent. Killing is killing, whether soldiers or civilians (e.g., West Bank).