Text Pages \ “Human Hunting” in the Siege of Sarajevo, political networks, paramilitary structures, and alleged Sniper Safaris

From early April 1992, Sarajevo was under constant assault. Bosnian Serb forces not only shelled the city but also strategically deployed snipers to target civilians, creating an omnipresent threat. According to UN/peacekeeping reports, sniper fire was a daily hazard, with civilians forced to use covered or indirect routes to avoid exposure (.

Human Rights Watch documented numerous cases where civilians- women, children, the elderly, were deliberately targeted by snipers, contributing to a climate of terror (HRW, 1994).

A detailed post-war report (“MEMORIJA Edition”) draws on UN testimonies and trial judgments to show that sniper attacks were often deliberate, not accidental: snipers positioned on the hills fired at civilian objects and individuals, not just military targets.

Medical studies from the siege provide further confirmation of sniper violence. In one peer-reviewed emergency medical report, researchers documented that across 18 months, nearly 81% of reported casualties from sniper and shelling incidents were civilians (emergency services report, May 1993) (Zalokar‑Milutinović et al., 1993). 

Original article here.