Austrian authorities have launched a formal probe into an Austrian national and one other individual suspected of joining "human safaris" during the 1990s siege of Sarajevo. The investigation follows pressure from Alma Zadic,a member of the Austrian Green Party , to address war crimes where wealthy foreigners allegedly paid to kill civilians.

The 110,000-mark price tag for pregnant victims

The investigation centers on a disturbing business model where Serbian fighters allegedly served as handlers for wealthy tourists from North America, Europe, and Russia. According to the report, these visitors paid exorbitant fees to engage in sniping from strategic vantage points, including a Jewish cemetery that offered a clear view of the besieged city of Sarajevo.

The brutality of these activities is detailed in the book Pay and Shoot by Croatian journalist Domagoj Margetic. As reported, the "safaris" operated on a tiered pricing system based on the target's perceived value. Middle-aged civilians were priced at 80,000 marks, while young women were listed at 95,000 marks. Most horrifyingly, the price for targeting pregnant women reached 110,000 marks, with participants treating the murders as a competitive sport before celebrating with decadent parties.

Nedzad Ugljen's dossier and the Croatian origin theory

Evidence for these claims is linked to a dossier compiled by Nedzad Ugljen, a Bosnian intelligence officer who was assassinated in 1996. Ugljen's reports suggest that the conceptual framework for these human safaris may have originated in Croatia, orchestrated by a former Yugoslav intelligence operative, rather than starting within the siege of Sarajevo itself.

The allegations suggest that the participants were not merely mercenaries but members of the global upper class.. The report highlights claims that a member of a European royal family participated in these hunts,arriving via helicopter and staying in the town of Vogosca. This framing suggests the Bosnian War served as a playground for sadistic elites who operated with total lawlessness.

John Jordan's testimony on the 44-month siege of Sarajevo

The horror of these targeted killings occurred against the backdrop of a systematic campaign of terror. John Jordan, a former US Marine who served as a UN firefighter in Sarajevo, provided evidence to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague regarding the 44-month siege.

Jordan's testimony describes the reality of "Sniper Alley," where civilians were routinely pinned down by gunfire. While the "safari" allegations add a layer of sadistic commercialism to the conflict, they echo the broader pattern of indiscriminate violence that defined the siege, where the most vulnerable populations were targeted to break the city's spirit.

Who is the unidentified suspect and the European royal?

Despite the gravity of the claims, several critical details remain unverified. While the Austrian justice ministry is probing one specific citizen,the identity of the second suspect remains unknown. furthermore, the report does not name the specific member of the European royal family alleged to have visited Vogosca,leaving a significant gap in the public record.

It remains unclear if the financial records mentioned in Domagoj Margetic's book can be independently authenticated in a court of law. However, the fact that Italian authorities have also launched investigations suggests an international effort to determine if these "sniper tours" were a widespread phenomenon among the wealthy during the 1990s.