A new book claims that gun-toting enthusiasts travelled thousands of miles to shoot at innocent civilians for fun during the siege of Sarajevo, competing to see who could kill the most beautiful women. The book, titled Pay and Shoot, by Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetic, presents documents from a Bosnian intelligence officer, Nedzad Ugljen, who was killed in 1996.
Details of the Alleged 'Safari'
According to the book, wealthy tourists from Russia, Canada, and the US made weekend trips to the majority-Muslim city and paid Serbian fighters to join the so-called Sarajevo Safari between 1992 and 1995. The tourists paid 80,000 marks (almost £35,000 at the time) to shoot at middle-aged men and women, but young women commanded a higher price of 95,000 marks, while pregnant women were the most expensive target at 110,000 marks.
Margetic stated, 'Ugljen also wrote the foreigners competed to see who could shoot the most beautiful women.' The agent revealed that many Bosnian-Serb militia members said a European royal was among those who took part. 'He would arrive by helicopter, stay in Vogosca near Sarajevo and wanted to shoot at children,' the agent said.
Origin of the 'Safari'
The book also reveals that the idea for the 'safari' originated in Croatia, not Serbia, and involved a Croatian who formerly worked for Yugoslav intelligence. These claims support previous allegations that the indiscriminate bloodshed may not have been perpetrated solely by Bosnian Serb militias but also by ordinary civilians seeking thrills.
Previous Allegations and Investigations
In 2007, former U.S. Marine John Jordan testified at The Hague about his time as a UN firefighter in Sarajevo. He stated that Serb shooters seemed to deliberately aim for the youngest in a family to cause the most pain. He also alleged the presence of 'shooter tourists' armed with hunting weapons, who paid to snipe for the Serb side as weekend entertainment.
In 2022, Slovenian director Miran Zupanič released a documentary titled Sarajevo Safari, gathering testimony from witnesses. One anonymous Slovenian intelligence officer described witnessing seven such safaris, noting participants were from the 'upper echelons' and paid higher prices to shoot children. In November 2025, Italian authorities launched an investigation into the claims.
Serbian war veterans have denied the allegations.
