ROME: Prosecutors in Italy are investigating possible Italian snipers who may have paid the Bosnian Serb army during the 1990s siege of Sarajevo to be allowed to shoot civilians for sport, local media reported.
According to La Repubblica daily, the investigation opened by Milan prosecutor Alessandro Gobbis for voluntary manslaughter seeks to identify Italians who between 1993 and 1995 may have “paid to play war and kill defenseless civilians ‘for fun.’“
The newspaper said the unidentified suspects it dubbed “war tourists” were mostly wealthy and gun-loving right-wing sympathizers, who departed from Trieste, in northern Italy, before being taken to the hills surrounding Sarajevo.
There, the would-be snipers paid up to the equivalent of 100,000 euros per day to the Bosnian Serb forces to shoot at civilians below them, according to the daily Il Giornale, the first newspaper to report, in July, that an investigation in Italy had been opened.
The investigation follows a complaint filed by Italian journalist and writer Ezio Gavanezzi, who was contacted in August 2025 by the former mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic.
She had filed her own complaint in Bosnia in 2022 after the broadcast of the documentary “Sarajevo Safari” by Slovenian director Miran Zupanic, which revealed the crimes.
In an interview with La Repubblica, Gavanezzi estimated there were at least 100 Italians who participated, with Il Giornale citing at least double that — on top of foreigners from other countries.
On social media Tuesday, Karic said she welcomed the Italian investigation.
In her 2022 complaint, a copy of which she posted on social media, Karic said the documentary, along with witness statements, point to “reasonable suspicion” that members of the Bosnian Serb army “organized ‘excursions’ for wealthy foreigners.”
They “had the opportunity to fire precision rifles from (army) positions above the city of Sarajevo, killing and wounding innocent civilians in the besieged city, including children,” according to her complaint.
During the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo that began in April 1992 — the longest in the history of modern warfare — some 11,541 men, women, and children were killed and more than 50,000 people wounded by Bosnian Serb forces, according to official figures.
Italy probes if ‘war tourists’ paid to shoot civilians in Sarajevo siege
https://arab.news/vnmh3
Italy probes if ‘war tourists’ paid to shoot civilians in Sarajevo siege
- The newspaper said the unidentified suspects it dubbed “war tourists” were mostly wealthy and gun-loving right-wing sympathizers
- The investigation follows a complaint filed by Italian journalist and writer Ezio Gavanezzi
Report highlights role of British Muslim charitable giving in supporting UK public services
- The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched service
LONDON: British Muslim charitable giving is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting frontline public services across the UK, according to a new report by policy and research organization Equi.
The study, “Building Britain: British Muslims Giving Back,” finds that donations from British Muslims are helping to bolster overstretched services, including local councils, the NHS and welfare systems, at a time of growing financial pressure.
The report estimates that Muslim donors contribute around £2.2 billion ($2.9 billion) annually, making them the UK’s most generous community.
This figure is around four times the national giving average and rises to almost 10 times the average among higher earners.
According to the findings, Muslim-led charities are providing a wide range of support, including housing assistance, emergency cash grants, food provision and mental health services, easing demand on statutory services.
Equi points to evidence from 2023 showing that housing support delivered by the National Zakat Foundation helped prevent evictions that would have cost councils an estimated £28.8 million, with every £1 of charitable spending generating £73 in public sector savings.
The report also highlights a generational shift, with younger British Muslims increasingly directing their donations toward domestic causes such as homelessness, child poverty and mental health challenges.
Despite their growing impact, Muslim charities face a number of barriers, including de-banking, restrictive funding rules, securitization measures and what the report describes as limited recognition from government. Equi argues that these challenges are constraining the sector’s ability to maximize its contribution.
“British Muslim giving is not just generosity but a lifeline for public services that needs recognizing,” said Equi Managing Director Prof. Javed Khan.
“From preventing evictions to supporting mental health, these donations are saving millions for the taxpayer and strengthening communities across Britain. The evidence is clear that Muslim-led action is delivering frontline support where the state is struggling,” he added.
Equi is calling on policymakers to engage more closely with Muslim-led charities and to move beyond what it describes as symbolic recognition.
The report recommends measures such as UK-based match-funding schemes and greater faith literacy within policymaking, which it says could unlock billions of pounds in additional domestic spending while maintaining the UK’s global humanitarian commitments.
The study concluded that with greater collaboration between government and Muslim charities, charitable giving could play an even more transformative role in strengthening public services and social cohesion across the country.
