Italian authorities continue to investigate the so-called “weekend snipers”, an alleged international network that during the 1990s organised “tourist hunting trips” in war zones in Bosnia.
In recent days, Italian investigators have been questioning individuals believed to have knowledge of these operations, including one man suspected of being a sniper.
Participants from across Europe reportedly took part in these excursions, where they could allegedly shoot at unarmed civilians for sport.
For decades, the story had remained largely a rumour. In November last year, the Milan prosecutor’s office opened an investigation after acquiring materials collected by investigative writer Ezio Gavazzeni, who had extensively researched the topic.
“Investigators are deliberately making part of their work public because they want to draw attention to the case,” Gavazzeni told Brussels Signal yesterday.
“Based on the information I provided, they hope to encourage as many knowledgeable witnesses as possible to come forward so that their statements can be verified. Investigators now want to motivate anyone who may know something to speak up,” he said.
Yesterday, news emerged that a suspected sniper had been interrogated.
He is now 80 years old and came under scrutiny after investigators obtained testimony from a woman. She alleged that 15 years ago a colleague had told her this man had boasted about shooting unarmed civilians in Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, between 1992 and 1995.
When questioned by the Milan prosecutor’s office, he denied all allegations, asserting that his trips to the Balkans in the 1990s were strictly for work. He is charged with multiple counts of murder, aggravated by particularly heinous motives.
His home was searched and four hunting rifles, two pistols and a .22-caliber carbine were seized— all firearms unsuitable for long-range precision shooting, as would be required for the so-called “weekend snipers”.
Milan’s prosecution office was the first to initiate inquiries, which have since expanded to include international co-ordination with Belgian, French and Swiss authorities. According to sources, the investigation may soon involve multiple intelligence services.
Former war correspondent Adriano Sofri, who covered the Balkans at the time, also provided a key deposition, corroborating aspects of a complaint filed by Gavazzeni, particularly regarding contacts between former Bosnian intelligence operative Edin Subasic and Italy’s secret service in early 1994.
Subasic reportedly indicated that he was aware of the “weekend snipers”, who departed from Trieste but were at some point stopped by Italian intelligence, members of which are believed to hold further information on the matter.
The ongoing investigation highlights the complex, transnational nature of the case. Authorities continue to gather evidence to clarify individual responsibilities and the extent of involvements in the Sarajevo shootings during the Bosnian conflict.
