Italian prosecutors probe suspect over Sarajevo sniper killings

ROME

Italian prosecutors have summoned one person for questioning in an investigation into claims that several Italian nationals travelled to Bosnia during the 1992-95 war to join Serb sniper units and fire on civilians for “entertainment,” local media reported Wednesday.

The investigation stems from a criminal complaint filed in February 2025 by Italian journalist and author Ezio Gavazzeni, who submitted documents and evidence related to the siege.

The Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation in November 2025, focusing on people known as “weekend snipers” who allegedly came from Italy and other countries to take part in the attacks during the war.

Italy’s ANSA news agency reported, citing judicial sources, that an 80-year-old former truck driver living in the northeastern city of Pordenone has been called in for questioning. Prosecutors expect the interrogation to take place on Feb. 9.

Prosecutors allege that between 1992 and 1995, he and other unidentified individuals fired sniper rifles from hills around Sarajevo, killing unarmed civilians including women, children and elderly people as part of a criminal plan.

Italian media have also reported allegations that the suspect later boasted about taking part in “human hunts” in Sarajevo during the siege.

Sarajevo was attacked on April 6, 1992 and remained under siege for more than three years. During that period, 11,541 civilians were killed, including 1,601 children. The city’s infrastructure and many historic and cultural sites were heavily damaged.