Late last year, German newspaper Bild reported that Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetić filed a complaint with prosecutors in Milan against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, accusing him of involvement in so-called «human safaris» in Sarajevo during the 1990s.
Nature of the allegations
According to materials cited in the complaint, during the Bosnian War, wealthy foreign nationals — including Italian citizens — allegedly traveled to combat zones and paid between €80,000 and €100,000 for the opportunity to shoot civilians.
Read also: Italian prosecutors seek justice for innocent victims of the Bosnian War.
The investigation claims Bosnian Serb forces escorted snipers to positions in the hills surrounding Sarajevo. Various estimates indicate that more than 10,000 people were killed during the Siege of Sarajevo.
Margetić alleges that Vučić, then a young journalist, may have been present at one of these positions during that period. In a 2022 documentary, former soldiers and intelligence officers described what they characterized as organized «human hunts» in which civilians — including women, elderly people and children — were targeted.
Vučić rejects accusations
Vučić has denied the allegations. His press service said the reports amounted to malicious disinformation intended to damage both Serbia’s reputation and that of its president.
According to the president’s press secretary, Vučić was in the town of Pale in late 1992 and early 1993 solely in his capacity as a young journalist and translator for TV Channel S, carrying out a clearly defined professional assignment and having no involvement with military structures or operational activities.
Investigation underway in Milan
Prosecutors in Milan have opened a preliminary investigation and are reviewing evidence submitted by the journalist as part of the complaint.
