The ‘sniper tourists’ of Sarajevo

Thu Nov 20 2025

For decades there have been allegations that wealthy foreigners traveled into the Bosnian war, during the siege of Sarajevo, to shoot at besieged civilians for sport. That accusation is now the subject of an investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Milan, Italy. Today, we’re joined by Janine di Giovanni who covered the Bosnian war as a reporter for the Times of London, and lived through the siege of Sarajevo. She’s the author of two books on the war, and has covered 18 wars across her 35 years in journalism. She joins us to talk about ‘sniper tourism’, and the legacy of a defining European conflict.  For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cbc.ca/radio/frontburner/transcripts</a>

Summary

Front Burner: "The ‘sniper tourists’ of Sarajevo"
CBC | Host: Jayme Poisson | Guest: Janine di Giovanni
Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into chilling allegations that, during the Bosnian war, wealthy foreigners paid to snipe at civilians in Sarajevo – a narrative long regarded as urban myth but now under formal investigation by Italian authorities. Host Jayme Poisson speaks with war correspondent and author Janine di Giovanni, who covered the Bosnian war firsthand, about these accusations, the broader context of the conflict, and the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Allegations: "Sniper Safaris" in Sarajevo

Origins & Recent Developments:
• Claims emerged during and after the Bosnian war that "sniper tourists" – foreign nationals – paid Serb forces for the chance to shoot at civilians in besieged Sarajevo, referred to variously as "tourism shooting," "human safaris," or "sniper safaris."
• Italian prosecutors have recently opened an investigation into these longstanding rumors, prompted by new witness testimony and documentaries like Sarajevo Safari ([01:02]–[06:33]).
Documented Evidence:
• Testimony referenced includes a Bosnian military intelligence officer’s account of interrogation records, analyses, and price lists with higher fees for shooting women and children ([06:33]–[07:17]).
• Guest quote:

“There were documents about this…one is the record of his interrogation…another is the record of the follow up interrogation…and the third is an analysis I prepared which explained the phenomenon of the war safari.”
—Anonymous Bosnian military intelligence officer ([06:33])

2. Journalism & Urban Myths

Wartime Isolation:
• Janine di Giovanni discusses the extreme isolation of Sarajevo and the proliferation of rumors – about mercenaries, jihadis, and “sniper tourists” – due to the lack of communication and media ([03:44]–[05:36]).
Investigative Hurdles:
• Di Giovanni notes that investigations of war crimes depend on political will and resources, and that post-war justice in Bosnia has been severely lacking ([07:38]–[09:53]).

3. Justice Deferred

Accountability & Trauma:
• Despite documented atrocities – mass rapes, genocide at Srebrenica – most perpetrators remain at large. Victims often see their attackers walking free in their own communities ([09:53]–[11:16], [25:17]–[29:05]).
Quote:

“What this has led to in Bosnia is a sense that what happened there, the horror that people endured, was never accounted for because there was never true accountability.”
—Janine di Giovanni ([09:53])

4. Dehumanization in Warfare

Nature of Sniping in Sarajevo:
• Sniper attacks instilled constant terror, targeting civilians indiscriminately and creating a city-wide atmosphere of fear ([12:18]–[15:02]). • Di Giovanni recalls visiting sniper nests with a British UN officer, who was so disturbed he later said,

“Humanity would have been better off. No one would have known. I could have killed him [the sniper], and we...there would have been more chance for civilians to live.”
—British Officer recounted by Janine di Giovanni ([15:19])
Evolving Tools of War:
• The dehumanization is amplified in today’s conflicts by drones and AI, where there is an even greater disconnect between perpetrator and victim ([15:19]–[17:28]).

5. Human Stories: 'Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo'

Admira and Boško's Tragedy:
• Poisson and di Giovanni recount the story of Admira Ismich (Bosnian Muslim) and Boško Brkić (Bosnian Serb), lovers killed by snipers while crossing a bridge together ([18:41]–[21:01]).
• Di Giovanni:

“Ordinary people were targeted... and this was basically a couple... childhood sweethearts from opposite sides... crossing a bridge that we knew to stay off of... and they were shot by snipers and killed.” ([18:50]) • Their bodies lay exposed for days as snipers targeted would-be rescuers.

6. Srebrenica: Personal Witness to Genocide

Atrocity & Aftermath:
• Di Giovanni describes Srebrenica’s transformation from a safe haven to a site of mass murder, the separation of men and boys for slaughter, and the UN’s failure to protect civilians ([21:42]–[24:34]).
• She recommends the film Quo Vadis, Aida? as a powerful portrayal of the events and their impact ([24:34]).

7. Limits of International Justice

ICTY’s Achievements & Failures:
• While the Yugoslav Tribunal indicted 161 high-ranking individuals and established important legal precedents, justice for most victims is lacking ([25:17]–[29:05]). • Many perpetrators reintegrated into society without consequence; survivors are left facing their attackers in daily life. •

“The ICTY did get Milosevic…It did get Mladic…but it did not get the people that actually did the crimes… And most importantly, it never really established anything for victims.”
—Janine di Giovanni ([25:17])

8. The War’s Legacy: Generational Impact

Bosnia as Moral Turning Point:
• Di Giovanni situates Bosnia as a signature trauma for her generation, analogous to Vietnam for an earlier era. The conflict shattered illusions about human progress and informed her lifelong commitment to reporting on war from the perspective of civilians ([29:05]–[33:12]). •

“…it was the end of the 20th century, a time when we were meant to have evolved into creatures who did not shoot each other, like people in a shooting range, you know…and you didn’t mass rape women…you didn’t besiege cities and starve people to death. I thought that that would be the worst thing I ever saw in my career… but unfortunately, it’s not.”
—Janine di Giovanni ([29:42])

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

On the surreal rumors of 'sniper safaris':

"You have to remember that Sarajevo was besieged...no electricity, no water...there was no communication with the outside world...there were many urban myths about who was fighting...and this was one of them."
—Janine di Giovanni ([03:44])
On the challenge of getting justice:

“Justice was never done for the 8,000 men and boys who were slaughtered...what this has led to in Bosnia is a sense that what happened...was never accounted for.”
—Janine di Giovanni ([09:53])
On war’s dehumanizing effect:

"They were evil. I could only say they were truly evil. They wanted to show us how they sniped by sniping someone right then and there."
—Janine di Giovanni ([12:18])
On the Romeo and Juliet of Sarajevo:

"In her final act, she flung her arms around her boyfriend...no one could get to the bodies for several days..."
—Janine di Giovanni ([19:45])
On international tribunals’ limits:

"It did help develop international law...but it did not get the people that actually did it. Most of the men and women involved...went back to their day jobs after the war ended..."
—Janine di Giovanni ([25:17])
On war's legacy:

“Why did Bosnia affect my generation? Because it was wrong. It was absolutely wrong. And we were journalists...it was the end of the 20th century, a time when we were meant to have evolved..."
—Janine di Giovanni ([29:42])

Noteworthy Timestamps

[01:02] — Introduction to "sniper tourism" claims and current investigation
[06:33] — Witness testimony, documentary influences, and discussion on price lists for shooting civilians
[07:38] — The lack of postwar justice and stalled investigations
[12:18] — Di Giovanni’s personal account of snipers in Sarajevo
[19:14] — The story of Admira and Boško, “Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo”
[21:42] — Srebrenica: what happened and its effect on survivors, the country, and international justice
[25:17] — The legacy and limitations of the ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia)
[29:42] — Bosnia as a generation-defining conflict for journalists, comparisons to contemporary crises

Tone & Closing

The conversation is intimate, reflective, and unsparing—echoing the horror, sorrow, and moral urgency of witnessing wartime atrocity, but also the persistence of memory and the ongoing quest for justice. Di Giovanni brings both the authority of lived experience and a personal, empathetic voice—always centering the experiences and dignity of civilians.

For listeners: This episode offers not only insight into a deeply disturbing wartime allegation, but also a broader meditation on the persistence of cruelty, the limits of international justice, and the urgent need for accountability and remembrance.

Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (0:56)

This is a CBC podcast.

C (1:02)

Hey, everybody. I'm Jamie Presson. For decades now, there's been this story, almost too perverse to believe, about the war in Bosnia. The claim was first reported by the Italian press, but also Bosnian media, and was brought up in the tribunal which followed the war. The allegation that wealthy foreigners had traveled to the besieged city of Sarajevo to shoot at Bosnian civilians for sport. It was referred to as tourism shooting or human safaris or sniper safaris. That accusation is now the subject of an investigation by the Public Prosecutor's office in Milan, Italy. The war in Bosnia is one of the darkest chapters of the end of the 20th century, and it involved mass violence among people that had long lived together in relative peace. It included bombardments, the longest wartime siege in modern history, the use of concentration camps, and a genocide in the small mountain town of Srebrenica. But it was defined in many ways by sniper fire. Sarajevo was terrorized by snipers positioned high above who intentionally targeted civilians positioned below. Jeanine digiovanni covered the Bosnian war as a reporter for the Times of London, and she lived through the siege of Sarajevo. She is the author of several acclaimed books on the war and has gone on to cover 18 wars across her 35 years in journalism. She now works as a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson School of Global affairs and is the co founder and executive director of the Reckoning Project. Janine, thank you so much for coming onto the show.

D (2:56)

It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.

C (2:58)

It's really a pleasure to have you. So before we get into some details of the Bosnian war, some of the central characters and its relevance today, let's start with the news this story of wealthy foreigners paying the Serbian army to snipe besieged Bosnian civilians is one that has been in the ether, however unconfirmed, for decades now. As I understand it, they flew from Trieste to Belgrade, transported by Yugoslav army helicopters to Pal, the wartime headquarters of Bosnian Serb forces, before being driven into the hills above Sarajevo. Different fees were reportedly charged, depending on whether the victim was a man, a woman, or a child. Can you tell me when you first remember hearing about this story?