In a case that has sent shockwaves through international courts, a grieving mother from Bosnia and Herzegovina has claimed her six-year-old son was murdered by a sniper who allegedly paid to participate in so-called 'human safaris' during the brutal siege of Sarajevo.
A Mother's Unending Grief
Fatima Popovac has spent three decades living with the agony of losing her young son, Adnan. She maintains he was shot and killed by one of the alleged 'sniper tourists' – wealthy foreigners who prosecutors claim paid tens of thousands of pounds to shoot innocent civilians for sport during the 1990s conflict.
Speaking to the Anadolu Ajansai news agency, Fatima expressed her profound incomprehension at the crime. "I cannot understand how someone could kill a child for amusement," she said. "What harm could a 6-year-old child possibly have done to anyone?"
Her anguish extends to the very nature of the perpetrators. "I cannot even imagine that those who carried these out could be in human form," Fatima shared. "I wish I could see that monster—what they look like, what they resemble. Do they carry no humanity at all?" Despite her suffering, she holds onto a hope for divine justice, stating she cannot wish harm on her child's killer and believes her son awaits her in paradise.
The Shocking Allegations in Court
These harrowing personal accounts are now at the centre of a formal investigation in Italy. Prosecutors are examining explosive allegations that individuals travelled to the war-torn capital of Sarajevo while it was under a horrific four-year siege.
A complaint filed in a Milan court by journalist Ezio Gavazzeni contains staggering claims. It suggests that rich foreigners "paid to be able to kill defenceless civilians" as part of a macabre hobby. The complaint further alleges a chilling pricing structure, with different rates charged for men, women, or children – with children reportedly costing the most to target.
Files in the case state that these individuals, who allegedly had ties to far-right groups, paid between £70,000 and £88,000 to become 'weekend snipers'. Their journey supposedly involved flying from Trieste to Belgrade on the Serbian airline Aviogenex, before travelling to the hills surrounding Sarajevo to shoot at civilians on the ground from Serbian positions.
A City Under Siege and a Continued Fight for Truth
The alleged crimes occurred during one of the most devastating chapters of the Bosnian War. The siege of Sarajevo lasted from 1992 to 1996, during which more than 11,000 people were killed by snipers and shelling. The city's streets became notoriously dangerous, with areas like 'Sniper Alley' claiming countless lives.
Fatima Popovac is not alone in her quest for accountability. Her calls for justice are echoed by Dzemil Hodzic, whose 16-year-old brother, Amel, was also killed during the siege. As the founder of the 'Sniper Alley' association, which investigates crimes from the Bosnian war, Hodzic vehemently argues for a change in terminology.
He insists that those allegedly involved in these sniper trips should be labelled as "terrorists" and "killers" rather than 'tourists'. "As long as I live, I will fight for the truth," Hodzic declared. "And I won't stop. They won't sleep comfortably."
Together, they represent a group of campaigners determined to uncover the full truth about the brutalities inflicted upon Bosnian civilians and to ensure that those responsible, no matter how distant or wealthy, are held to account.
