Allegations have emerged that wealthy European hunters paid Serbian fighters to participate in sniper attacks targeting civilians, including women and children, during the siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s. According to a witness who operated a bed and breakfast in Trieste, northeastern Italy, these hunters used the code word “deer” to refer to their human victims.

The witness, who has chosen to remain anonymous, described the hunters as well-dressed, affluent, and “arrogant,” traveling through the region to take part in what has been referred to as the “Sarajevo Safari.” She said the hunters lacked genuine knowledge of traditional hunting practices and that guides accompanying them communicated strictly in private.

These statements were made during a recent meeting with Italian author Ezio Gavazzeni and Guido Salvini, a lawyer representing the city of Sarajevo in civil proceedings. Gavazzeni, who has conducted extensive research on the topic using sources including a former Bosnian intelligence officer, relayed the innkeeper’s account. He added that the hunters identified themselves using the Serbo-Croat term “strelac,” meaning “archer,” a detail corroborated by other witnesses.

The Italian magistrates have launched an investigation based on this and other testimonies compiled in Gavazzeni’s work, *Joint Weekend (The Weekend Snipers)*. To date, four suspects have been interviewed. In parallel, Austrian authorities are conducting inquiries into alleged involvement of Austrian nationals in similar activities. European magistrates convened in June to coordinate these ongoing investigations across borders.

Gavazzeni also disclosed information from Swiss witnesses who linked an antiques dealer in Lugano with acquaintances reportedly involved in the Sarajevo shootings. Although the dealer declined to cooperate with the author, Swiss magistrates have questioned Gavazzeni as part of their probe. The witnesses identified a small group of four to five hunters, including Swiss and Italians from the Brianza area of Lombardy.

While these claims continue to surface, they have drawn skepticism from some quarters. A publication specializing in Balkan affairs recently described the reports as largely unsubstantiated rumors, suggesting any such “human safaris” would have involved substantially fewer participants than some accounts suggest. The publication further criticized the reliance on anonymous sources in Gavazzeni’s reporting. In response, Gavazzeni stated he has shared the names of certain witnesses with investigators and emphasized his intent to protect them until the inquiry concludes.

The allegations highlight complex and disturbing dimensions of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the early 1990s, underscoring ongoing efforts by multiple European judicial bodies to uncover the full extent of wartime atrocities.