Rich People Paid to Kill in Sarajevo
Rich People Paid to Kill in Sarajevo
Introduction
Some reports say rich people from other countries came to Sarajevo. They paid money to shoot innocent people during the war from 1992 to 1995.
Main Body
A man named Zvonko Horvatincic helped these people. He brought them from Croatia to Serbian areas. These rich people paid different prices to shoot different people. They paid more money to shoot women and children. Some soldiers saw these people. They wore strange clothes and used expensive guns. They did not know the city, so they needed guides. One man from the US army told a court about this in 2007. A movie from 2022 also talks about this. A secret officer said he saw rich people from the West shooting people from hidden places.
Conclusion
Serbian soldiers say this is not true. However, Italian police started a new study in 2025 to find the truth.
Learning
⚡ The 'Past Action' Pattern
Look at these words from the text: paid, came, brought, wore, said.
These are not regular. We don't just add '-ed'. They change completely to tell us something happened in the past.
Simple Logic:
- Pay → Paid
- Come → Came
- Bring → Brought
- Wear → Wore
- Say → Said
🛠️ Building Sentences
To move to A2, you must link a person to a past action and a detail.
- Pattern: [Who] → [Past Action] → [What/Where]
- Example 1: Rich people → paid → money.
- Example 2: A man → brought → them to Serbian areas.
- Example 3: Italian police → started → a study.
Quick Tip: If you see a date like 1992 or 2007, always use these 'Past Action' words!
Vocabulary Learning
Investigation into Alleged 'Human Safaris' During the Siege of Sarajevo
Introduction
Recent reports and legal investigations have revealed claims that wealthy foreigners took part in organized sniper activities. These individuals allegedly targeted civilians during the siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995.
Main Body
According to journalist Domagoj Margetic, these 'safaris' were organized by Zvonko Horvatincic, a former Yugoslav intelligence officer. He allegedly coordinated a network that brought foreign nationals through Croatian ports into areas controlled by Serbian forces. Furthermore, this arrangement continued even though Croatian and Serbian forces were fighting each other, which suggests that intelligence agencies collaborated to allow these trips to happen. Evidence from documents collected by Bosnian intelligence officer Nedzad Ugljen shows that there was a pricing system for targeting different people. For example, payments to Serbian handlers started at 80,000 marks for middle-aged adults and increased to 110,000 marks for pregnant women. Additionally, some Bosnian-Serb militia members claimed that a European royal used a helicopter to enter the region specifically to target children. These claims are supported by other testimonies. In 2007, former U.S. Marine John Jordan told an international court that he saw foreigners using professional hunting weapons and civilian clothes. Although he did not see them fire the weapons, he noted that they did not know the city well and relied on local guides. Moreover, a 2022 documentary featured a former U.S. intelligence officer who claimed to have seen high-status Westerners shooting from hidden positions.
Conclusion
Although Serbian veterans deny these events, Italian authorities started an investigation in November 2025 to determine if these claims are true.
Learning
🧩 The 'Nuance' Shift: Moving from Facts to Claims
At an A2 level, you usually say things are true or false. (e.g., 'The man was a sniper'). But to reach B2, you must describe things that might be true, especially when dealing with news or legal reports. This is called Hedged Language.
🔍 The Magic Word: Allegedly
Look at the text. The author doesn't say "These people killed civilians." Instead, they say:
"These individuals allegedly targeted civilians..."
Why? Because if the author is wrong, they could be sued. Allegedly means "someone says this happened, but it is not proven yet."
🛠️ Upgrading Your Vocabulary
Stop using "But" and "Also" for everything. Use these B2 connectors found in the article to link complex ideas:
- Furthermore / Moreover Use these instead of "Also" to add a strong, supporting point.
- Example: The price was high. Moreover, it was illegal.
- Although Use this to show a contrast in one sentence.
- Example: Although they were fighting, they collaborated in secret.
📉 Price vs. Value (Precision)
In A2, we use "cost." In B2, we use more precise terms. Notice the phrase "pricing system."
Instead of saying: "The cost for the person was 80,000 marks," Try: "There was a pricing system for targeting different people."
The B2 Rule: Move from describing actions (buying/paying) to describing systems (pricing/coordination).
Vocabulary Learning
Investigation into Alleged Extrajudicial 'Human Safaris' During the Siege of Sarajevo
Introduction
Recent publications and legal inquiries have surfaced allegations regarding the participation of wealthy foreign nationals in organized sniper activities targeting civilians during the siege of Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995.
Main Body
The provenance of these activities is attributed to a conceptual framework originating in Croatia, allegedly facilitated by Zvonko Horvatincic, a former operative of Yugoslav intelligence. According to the journalist Domagoj Margetic, these 'safaris' were coordinated through a network involving the transit of foreign nationals via Croatian ports to Serbian-controlled territories. This logistical arrangement purportedly persisted despite the broader geopolitical hostilities between Croat and Serb forces, suggesting a pragmatic collaboration between intelligence apparatuses for the purpose of facilitating these excursions. Evidence cited in Margetic's work, derived from documents compiled by the late Bosnian intelligence officer Nedzad Ugljen, indicates a tiered pricing structure for the targeting of specific demographics. The documentation suggests that payments to Serbian handlers commenced at approximately 80,000 marks for middle-aged adults, escalating to 95,000 marks for young women, and peaking at 110,000 marks for pregnant women. Testimonies from Bosnian-Serb militia members further allege the involvement of a European royal, who reportedly utilized helicopter transport to access the region with a stated preference for targeting children. These claims align with previous testimonies provided to the United Nations-led international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. In 2007, former U.S. Marine John Jordan testified to the presence of non-local personnel utilizing hunting-grade weaponry and civilian-military attire, noting their reliance on local guides. While Jordan acknowledged he did not personally witness the act of firing, his observations regarding the distinct equipment and unfamiliarity of these individuals with the urban terrain support the hypothesis of foreign participation. Additionally, a 2022 documentary featured an anonymous former U.S. intelligence officer who claimed to have witnessed high-status Westerners engaging in these activities from camouflaged positions.
Conclusion
While Serbian veterans deny these allegations, the initiation of an investigation by Italian authorities in November 2025 indicates a renewed legal effort to verify the veracity of these claims.
Learning
The Architecture of Distance: Hedges and Nominalization in Forensic Prose
To move from B2 to C2, a student must transition from describing events to constructing claims. This text is a masterclass in Epistemic Distancing. In high-level academic and legal English, the writer avoids direct attribution to protect themselves from litigation and to maintain an air of objective detachment.
1. The 'Claim-Shield' Lexis
Notice the density of verbs and adjectives that function as buffers between the author and the truth-claim:
- Alleged / Purportedly / Suggesting / Hypothesis
At a C2 level, you do not simply say "They say X." You employ probabilistic qualifiers.
Example from text: "This logistical arrangement purportedly persisted..."
By inserting "purportedly," the writer transforms a factual statement into a reported claim, shifting the burden of proof away from the author and onto the source. This is the hallmark of sophisticated discourse in diplomacy and law.
2. The Power of Nominalization
B2 students rely on verbs (actions). C2 masters rely on nouns (concepts). Look at how the text converts chaotic violence into clinical processes:
| B2 Approach (Action-Oriented) | C2 Approach (Concept-Oriented) |
|---|---|
| People were organized to kill | "The provenance of these activities..." |
| They worked together despite fighting | "...a pragmatic collaboration between intelligence apparatuses" |
| They checked if the claims were true | "...to verify the veracity of these claims" |
The Linguistic Shift: By using provenance, collaboration, and veracity, the writer removes the emotional weight and replaces it with an analytical framework. This is called depersonalization, and it is essential for writing reports, white papers, or doctoral theses.
3. Syntactic Density: The 'Tiered' Information Load
Observe the sentence: "The documentation suggests that payments to Serbian handlers commenced at approximately 80,000 marks for middle-aged adults, escalating to 95,000 marks for young women, and peaking at 110,000 marks for pregnant women."
Instead of three separate sentences, the author uses a parallel participial chain (commenced... escalating... peaking). This creates a cumulative effect, mirroring the 'escalation' of the price itself through the rhythm of the sentence. This level of syntactic control allows you to guide the reader's emotional response through structural precision rather than adjectives.