FM Djuric Condemns Claims of Vucic's Involvement in So-Called Human Safaris in Sarajevo During the War

Marko Djuric (BETAPHOTO/MINISTARSTVO SPOLJNIH POSLOVA SRBIJE)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric has condemned "sensationalist claims" that during the war in Bosnia in the 1990s Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had "participated in or organized activities of the so-called 'human safari' during the siege of Sarajevo."

In a post on X late on Nov. 20, Djuric said he "strongly and unequivocally" condemned those "entirely false, deeply defamatory and politically motivated" allegations as "an outrageous campaign of disinformation and character assassination currently being directed at President Vucic."

"These allegations rest on nothing but unfounded insinuations - none of which have ever been supported by a single piece of credible evidence or validated by any competent judicial authority," the minister wrote. Djuric also pointed out that "no domestic or international institution, court or tribunal or investigative body has ever established or even suspected any such involvement by President Vucic," adding, "This is because the things being alleged are nothing but falsehoods and lies."

In the campaign against Vucic, Djuric went on, it is not about the truth or justice, rather it is "a deliberate attempt to weaponize the horrors of the 1990s to damage Serbia's leadership, undermine its international standing and destabilize regional relations." "Exploiting wartime suffering for political gain is morally unacceptable and profoundly disrespectful to all victims of the conflict. Even tabloid newspapers, such as The Daily Mail, The Sun and others, should be embarrassed for publishing this," said Djuric.

A number of domestic and foreign media outlets have this week conveyed a statement from Croatian investigative journalist Domagoj Margetic that he has reported Vucic to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Milan, in relation to the launch of an investigation in Italy into the so-called "Sarajevo safari" - where foreigners allegedly paid to shoot at civilians during the siege of Sarajevo.

The Prosecutor's Office in Milan, according to an announcement on Nov. 12, has launched an investigation into allegations that during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina Italian citizens took part in so-called "human safaris," paying to kill denizens of besieged Sarajevo from the positions held by the Bosnian Serb army on the hills around the city. Italian news agency ANSA reported, also on Nov. 12, that those "weekend snipers" in wartime Sarajevo had been written about 30 years ago. Since then, statements and documents have been gathered, and so journalist Ezio Gavazzeni decided to compile the material and file a report to the Prosecutor's Office.