Front Burner

The ‘sniper tourists’ of Sarajevo

Nov 20, 2025
Janine di Giovanni, an accomplished conflict journalist and author, shares her harrowing experiences from the Bosnian War, where she witnessed the siege of Sarajevo. She discusses the disturbing phenomenon of 'sniper tourism,' where wealthy foreigners allegedly shot at civilians for sport. Di Giovanni reflects on the wartime myths that spread during the conflict and the psychological impact of living under constant sniper fire. She also addresses the complex moral dilemmas faced by journalists and the legacy of the war that continues to resonate today.
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INSIGHT

Snipers Defined The Siege

  • Sniper fire defined the siege of Sarajevo and terrorized civilians daily.
  • The snipers aimed at ordinary people to break morale, not just military targets.
INSIGHT

New Tools Enable Old Investigations

  • Modern investigation tools like OSINT and satellite imagery now make cold-war-era crimes easier to probe.
  • Janine notes such tools didn't exist publicly in 1992–95, limiting earlier accountability.
ADVICE

Fund And Use Modern Forensics

  • Support sustained funding and political will for international investigations and prosecutions.
  • Use modern forensic tools and OSINT to revisit unresolved wartime crimes.
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