In the war-ravaged city of Sarajevo during the brutal 1992-1996 siege, a disturbing new dimension of horror is emerging from the shadows of history. Fresh investigations suggest that wealthy foreigners paid substantial sums to participate in what witnesses describe as a 'human safari' - shooting unarmed civilians for sport.
The Tragic Story of Irina Cisic
Four days after celebrating her first birthday in 1993, Irina Cisic became one of the youngest victims of the Sarajevo siege. Curled safely in her mother's arms outside their family home, a sniper's bullet struck the toddler. She died in hospital hours later, her small body too fragile to recover from the trauma.
Irina was among 1,601 children killed during the 44-month siege, part of the 11,541 total victims who perished as Bosnian Serb forces surrounded the majority-Muslim city. The siege represented the longest in modern warfare history, with forces deliberately targeting civilians in acts classified as war crimes.
Chilling Allegations of 'Safari' Tourism
According to claims now being investigated by Italian authorities, the indiscriminate bloodshed may not have been perpetrated solely by Bosnian Serb militias. Wealthy foreigners allegedly paid between £70,000 and £88,000 to travel to Sarajevo on weekends and participate in what they called a 'manhunt'.
Even more disturbingly, witnesses claim participants paid extra to target minors. The war tourists reportedly came from Italy, Canada, Russia and the United States, treating the brutal conflict as their personal playground.
Eyewitness Testimony Emerges
The allegations first gained traction in 2007 when John Jordan, a former US Marine who volunteered as a UN firefighter in Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995, testified before the United Nations-led criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Jordan described seeing armed foreigners who 'did not appear to me to be locals by their dress, by the weapons they carried'. He noted they wore civilian-military combination clothing and carried weapons more suited to 'hunting boar in the Black Forest than urban combat in the Balkans'.
Though Jordan admitted he never actually saw them take a shot, he insisted he witnessed these armed foreigners being guided around areas like Grbavica by local handlers.
Documentary Reveals Horrifying Details
In 2022, Slovenian director Miran Zupanič's documentary 'Sarajevo Safari' gathered compelling testimony from multiple witnesses who claimed to have seen the killing sprees firsthand.
An anonymous former intelligence officer who worked for the US during the Balkan Wars described witnessing seven such 'safaris'. He recalled how participants were wealthy individuals from 'the upper echelons' seeking new thrills after having everything else in life.
'I never heard the prices,' the witness stated. 'I only know it was terribly expensive, and that the price was higher for a child.'
The former agent described being invited on a safari where he saw three Western-looking men preparing to shoot from camouflaged positions. 'After the man fired, the person fell. Most were hit in the chest, because the head is harder. But I also saw a hit to the head. From that I saw they were very good hunters,' he recounted.
International Investigation Reopened
Italian writer and journalist Ezio Gavazzeni has recently reignited the case, filing a new legal complaint with Italian magistrates. 'We're talking about wealthy people, with a reputation, entrepreneurs, who during the siege of Sarajevo paid to be able to kill defenseless civilians,' Gavazzeni told La Repubblica.
Prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis has been instructed to track down Italians who, between 1993 and 1995, allegedly killed unarmed civilians 'for fun'. The charge is murder, aggravated by cruelty.
Gavazzeni claims the war tourists fit a specific profile: wealthy individuals from hard-right backgrounds with a passion for weapons and hunting. He believes everything was organised through the Serbian State Security Service, with convicted war criminal Jovica Stanišić playing a key role.
Political Reactions and Consequences
The allegations have sparked international outrage. US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna announced she had opened an investigation into the alleged 'murder tourism', stating: 'Paying money to shoot civilians - and even worse to shoot children - is a level of evil our country cannot and will not tolerate.'
Meanwhile, Serbian war veterans have vehemently rejected the allegations as lies. The then-mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic, filed criminal charges against 'persons unknown' following the documentary's release, though the investigation apparently stalled.
As the Italian investigation progresses, more countries are expected to follow suit in uncovering the truth about one of the darkest chapters of the Bosnian conflict - where human life became entertainment for wealthy thrill-seekers.
