US member of Congress vows to probe alleged 'human safari' snipers from 1990s Bosnian War
'If there are any Americans who have engaged in this, they deserve to be charged and prosecuted,' says Anna Paulina Luna
ISTANBUL
A US congresswoman on Thursday pledged to investigate allegations of “sniper tourists” who spent tens of thousands of dollars to gun down innocent civilians during the 1990s Bosnian War and determine if any Americans took part.
"Regarding the alleged ‘murder tourism’ … I have opened an investigation into this matter and am in contact with the Bosnian Consulate as well as the Italian Embassy," Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said on US social media company X.
Her remarks follow reports that Italy is investigating allegations that Bosnian Serb forces organized “human safaris” for wealthy visitors in Sarajevo during the 1995-1995 Bosnian War.
“Paying money to shoot civilians – and even worse to shoot children – is a level of evil our country cannot and will not tolerate," added Luna, a former member of the US Air Force who currently serves on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“If there are any Americans who have engaged in this, they deserve to be charged and prosecuted," she added.
Italian prosecutors are probing claims that several Italian nationals travelled to the Bosnian capital during the siege of Sarajevo to join Serb sniper units and fire on civilians for “entertainment,” Italian media reported.
The inquiry, launched by the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office, focuses on individuals described as “weekend snipers” who allegedly paid the equivalent of €80,000 to €100,000 to take part in shooting trips during the siege.
According to a report in La Repubblica, the men were not soldiers but “radical far-right war tourists.”
During the 3½-year siege, in which Serb forces surrounded and bombarded Sarajevo, more than 11,500 civilians were killed, including 1,601 children, and the city’s cultural heritage and infrastructure suffered extensive damage.
During the Bosnian War of 1992-1995, Serb forces, backed by the Yugoslav army and paramilitary units, launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against Bosniak Muslims. By the end of the war, more than 100,000 people had been killed and some 2 million were forced to flee their homes.
