Balkan Intel Files Could Expose Ultra-Wealthy 'Sniper Tourism' Thrill-Seekers From Sarajevo Siege

Intelligence files compiled by Bosnian military analysts during the 1992-1996 siege of Sarajevo are emerging as crucial evidence that could expose wealthy individuals who allegedly paid up to £76,000 ($100,000) to shoot civilians. This long and brutal siege remains the longest in modern European history, with over 11,000 deaths across 1,425 days of relentless bombardment.

The documents, gathered by Bosnian military intelligence officer Edin Subasic in 1993, include interrogations of captured Serbian volunteer soldiers. One such soldier from Paracin described witnessing Italian nationals paying for frontline access, highlighting organised payment structures and travel logistics routed through Serbian State Security channels. These files now sit at the centre of an investigation in Milan, offering a disturbing glimpse into a lucrative and murderous 'sniper tourism' during the conflict.

The Financial Mechanism Behind the Killings

The intelligence files reveal a sophisticated financial operation. A 17-page legal complaint filed with Milan prosecutors details a chilling tariff system, where the cost of sniper hits varied by victim. Children commanded the highest fees, followed by men and women, while elderly victims could reportedly be killed without charge.

Edin Subasic testified: 'I analysed the information to the extent possible and wrote a summary, a conclusion that this was a new phenomenon on the Sarajevo battlefield. Foreigners were not being paid to go to war but were actually paying to go on the frontlines.' The files describe organised routes operated by Aviogenex, a Serbian charter airline, with flights from Trieste through Belgrade to Pale, the Bosnian Serb stronghold overlooking Sarajevo.

Intelligence assessments indicate that the Serbian State Security Service, under Jovica Stanišić — later convicted of war crimes at The Hague — facilitated this operation. The operation's organisation underscores the brutal commercialisation of violence during the siege.

The Human Toll and Survivor Accounts

The files also document the harrowing human cost of this dark trade. Emine Secerovic Kaslı, a Bosniak writer, was just seven years old when she ran to school in zigzag patterns to avoid sniper fire. 'I had to escape not only Serb snipers but also those so-called tourists from Europe who paid money to kill,' she recently recounted.

One-year-old Irina Cesic was shot four days after her first birthday. Her father, Samir, struggles to comprehend why a sniper targeted a tiny child rather than her holding adult hand. 'We never understood why someone would shoot at a one-year-old girl,' he told investigators.

Dzemil Hodzic, who lost his 16-year-old brother Amel during the siege, founded the Sniper Alley Photo project, documenting wartime crimes. He confirmed that weekends were particularly dangerous, with reports circulating of outsiders coming to shoot at Sarajevo residents.

Identifying the Wealthy Participants

The intelligence documents contain specific details that could lead to the identification of suspects. Reports from Italian military intelligence agency SISMI, early in 1994, confirmed the presence of Italian nationals in Sarajevo. SISMI's files note departure points from Trieste and suggest the operation was interrupted months later.

One participant from Milan, documented in the files, owned a private plastic surgery clinic. The documents describe participants as 'far-right sympathisers with a passion for weapons' and 'certainly very wealthy people who could afford such an adrenaline-fuelled challenge.'

The files detail how participants gathered in Trieste on Friday evenings before their weekend trips, with travel justified as hunting expeditions. They used sophisticated equipment, which attracted the attention of Bosnian military observers on the battlefield — evidence of organised, well-funded operations.

Potential Breakthrough in the Investigation

Florence Hartmann, former spokesperson for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, confirmed that prosecutors 'were aware' of death tourism during the war. 'We didn't know how it was organised. It is extremely important that a judicial investigation has been launched and that those who organised it are identified,' she said.

Milan prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis is now examining decades-old intelligence files for evidence to pursue charges of voluntary homicide aggravated by cruelty and abjection motives. The files identify five individuals, with investigators tracking additional participants through airline records and witness testimony.

Benjamina Karic, who survived the siege as a one-year-old, has also filed complaints with Bosnian and Italian authorities after reviewing the documents. 'That rich people came to Sarajevo on weekends to kill our children — it's the darkest thing one can imagine,' she said.

The emerging evidence exposes a sinister side of the Sarajevo siege—where wealth and violence intersected in a chilling business of death. As investigations deepen, the hope remains that justice will uncover the identities of those who turned murder into a profitable enterprise, leaving a trail of victims and broken lives in its wake.