Serbian Leader Faces Shocking 'Human Safari' Allegations
A Milan court has received explosive claims alleging Serbia's current president, Aleksandar Vučić, participated in organising and taking part in so-called 'human safaris' during the Bosnian War. The shocking accusations state that wealthy foreigners paid up to £70,000 for a weekend trip to act as snipers, targeting innocent civilians in the besieged city of Sarajevo.
Disturbing Details of the Alleged Atrocities
According to the complaint filed in Milan, these horrific expeditions allegedly occurred during the four-year siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1996. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered immensely under a prolonged military blockade by Serb forces.
Croatian investigative journalist Domagoj Margetic submitted the complaint, asserting that Vučić was involved in these activities between 1992 and 1993. This period coincides with the time Vučić supposedly volunteered with a Bosnian Serb militia known as the New Sarajevo Chetnik Detachment of the Army of Republika Srpska, led by Slavko Aleksic.
Margetic claims to possess evidence showing Vučić, then in his twenties, on these expeditions. The journalist stated on social media: "I have informed the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan in a report of all my knowledge about Aleksandar Vučić's connection with human safaris in wartime Sarajevo."
Evidence and Chilling Resurfaced Footage
The allegations gained further traction after a disturbing video resurfaced showing militia leader Slavko Aleksic standing next to a car with a human skull displayed on the bonnet. The skull was reportedly wearing a UN helmet and is alleged to be a trophy from these human safari trips.
Further evidence cited by Margetic includes a 1994 interview where Vučić allegedly said he signed up as a volunteer during the siege. The journalist also references a 1993 video which he claims shows the current president carrying a rifle with other armed men in a Jewish cemetery that the militia used as a frontline sniper position.
Italian investigative journalist Ezio Gavazzeni, who filed the initial complaint last week, provided additional harrowing details. He alleged that different rates were charged for shooting men, women, or children, with children reportedly costing more. The travellers, who allegedly had ties to far-right groups, would supposedly fly from Trieste to Belgrade on the Serbian airline Aviogenex before being taken to hills surrounding Sarajevo to target civilians from Serbian positions.
Vehement Denials from the Presidency
President Vučić and his office have strongly denied all allegations. A spokesperson for the president dismissed the claims as "a textbook case of malicious disinformation, purpose-built to erode the institutional credibility of the Republic of Serbia and its president."
The official account states that during the period in question, Vučić was working as a journalist and translator in the nearby town of Pale. The spokesperson insisted he "did not participate in combat activities, did not use weapons, and had no role in any wartime operations."
Regarding the 1993 video evidence, Vučić has previously claimed he was holding an umbrella, not a firearm, while his spokesperson later suggested it was a tripod for his journalistic work. In a 2021 TV interview, Vučić stated: "I can't listen to nonsense and lies. I didn't shoot, but I was at Pale, doing my job."
The siege of Sarajevo remains one of the most tragic chapters of the Bosnian War, with more than 10,000 people losing their lives during the prolonged military blockade. These new allegations have brought fresh scrutiny to the wartime activities of one of the region's most prominent political figures.
