Austria’s Ministry of Justice has decided to close an investigation into two Austrian nationals suspected of shooting at civilians in besieged Sarajevo as snipers during the war in BiH, according to the Vienna-based newspaper Der Standard.
The ministry approved a recommendation from the Krems Public Prosecutor’s Office, which submitted its investigation report last week. The case was also reviewed by the Ministry of Justice’s Advisory Council on Instructions.
The investigation was discontinued due to a lack of evidence. According to Der Standard, witnesses who spoke about the possible involvement of Austrian nationals based their statements solely on information they had heard from others.
The ministry also determined that the alleged perpetrator’s profile did not match that of the identified suspect and that he lacked the financial means to travel to BiH.
The investigation, launched in April, involved one identified Austrian citizen and another Austrian national whose identity remains unknown.
The allegations originated in South Tyrol and suggested that one of the suspects had traveled to Sarajevo to shoot at civilians from sniper positions.
Separate investigation continues in Milan
The Austrian investigation was initiated following a parliamentary inquiry by Alma Zadić, a former justice minister who now serves as the Green Party’s spokesperson for judicial affairs.
The case had previously attracted attention in Italy, where the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation following allegations made last year by Italian writer Ezio Gavazzeni.
Gavazzeni claimed that more than 400 foreign nationals had paid the Army of Republika Srpska for the opportunity to shoot at Sarajevo residents from its sniper positions.
However, Der Standard noted that Gavazzeni had not presented evidence to substantiate these allegations.
In June, reports indicated that Milan prosecutors did not have sufficient evidence to bring charges against the suspect, relying instead on circumstantial indications.
Source: Glas Srpske
