"Conditions Are Tough" For Game Dev "Spies"

[Andy Chalk]

"Conditions Are Tough" For Game Dev "Spies"

The Arma 3 developers arrested for spying in Greece say they're being treated "fairly and correctly," and don't want their families to worry.

The Bohemia Interactive employees who were arrested last week for espionage [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119532-Greece-Busts-Game-Dev-Spies] in Greece remain in custody, but in an update released today the studio said it remains hopeful that the situation can be resolved as just "an unfortunate and deep misunderstanding." The duo, Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, were arrested after a search of their camera and camcorder revealed images of military installations on the Greek island of Lemnos; they claimed that they were researching the island for the upcoming military shooter Arma 3, which includes among its locales a fictionalized version of the island.

In a statement released today, Bohemia Interactive reiterated that the claims of espionage are "completely false and without substance." The developers were on the island as tourists, inspired to visit it by their work on Arma 3, and as many people do, took photos and videos in public areas.

"These included a short video as they drove through the main road passing around the international airport, where in one short part of the video off in the distance some hangars and other buildings of the complex can be seen," the studio said. "It's very likely that many tourists may have pictures similar to those taken by Ivan and Martin in their own family albums, without being aware that they put themselves or their families at risk."

The studio also reiterated that the in-game version of the island, renamed (very slightly) to Limnos, is almost complete and "far from an identical recreation of the real place." It's been heavily modified to fit the game's 2035 plot and "does not attempt to display any real world military installations" on the island.

The detained developers passed on a message saying, "The conditions are tough, but the people we meet treat us fairly and correctly. It is all a completely absurd misunderstanding that will certainly be quickly explained. We mainly think of you, our families; you have to stay calm and not worry about us. We hope we will meet soon."

Bohemia Interactive apologized for not being able to provide more information, but also invited members of the Arma/Operation Flashpoint community and anyone else who wants to join in to show their support for the imprisoned pair at HelpIvanMartin [http://www.helpivanmartin.org/].

"Ivan and Martin are no spies, but passionate community members, dedicated to the game and its experience for the player. Many of us have witnessed Ivan talking in interviews passionately about the progress of Arma 3 and all the new features, also developed by Martin," the site says says. "It's time to show our support, not only as a community, but as players and concerned citizens, for two developers, who now face a lifetime in prison for an unfortunate misunderstanding."

Source: Bohemia Interactive [http://www.bistudio.com/english/home/news/company/330-update-lemnos-arrests]


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[joeman098]

this is just fucked up. its not like they were sneaking around the bases or anything. If Greece dosnt want its bases in pictures maybe they need higher walls?

 

[Lawyer105]

Greece is already looking pretty bad with all the economic stuff, riots and other shenanigans. This certainly isn't helping their image...

There goes that Greek holiday I was planning. Back to Spain this year, I think!

 

[Azuaron]

this is just fucked up. its not like they were sneaking around the bases or anything. If Greece dosnt want its bases in pictures maybe they need higher walls?

Look, sad they got captured and are facing time and stuff, but (from the last Escapist article about this):

"We have a statement from the Greek police," said Czech foreign ministry spokesman Vit Kolar, "saying they were taking pictures and video footage of military facilities on the island on which they were detained, and that they entered the military facilities despite a warning."

Listen to the police when they tell you not to enter military facilities.

 

[Murderiser]

The moral of the story: don't go poking around military installations with a video camera.

Also, the Greek military is well known in Europe for being extremely touchy about people being nosy around their bases.

 

[Brett Bowling]

Wow, how much you want to bet Arma 4 will go the "fictional country route" now.

 

[Petromir]

Except there are no military installations of any kind on that island. I looked on google maps' satelite view: No blurry places, no places that may look like a military base, outside of a small distinctly civilian-looking one runway airport.

I've got a bachelor in human geography specialising in GIS applications, remote sensing and have been trained as a satelite recon and remote sensing specialist for the Dutch armed forces and worked as that in Afghanistan for nine months.

I'd say that if I can't see a clue of a military installation on images that cover the entire island, there are no military installations worth mentioning.

Here's an example of a military base that's been blurred out, the Dutch naval base in Den Helder, Noord-Holland province:
https://maps.google.nl/?ll=52.958243,4.791477&spn=0.010754,0.033023&t=h&z=16

Not all Military bases are blurred out. Portsmouth naval base http://goo.gl/maps/qEspm is celarly visable as are devonport and Faslane, home of the Vanguard class nuclear missile subs and the Astute class attack subs. Indeed a brief search of a few I've lived on or near none are.


Rather tellingly the airport on Lemnos looks similar to RAF Mount Pleasant, a dual purpose military and civilian airport. Except on Lemnos I've identified military jet aircraft. My conclusion (as a member of the Royal Navy) is that Lemnos is a civlian and military airport and has miltary aircraft stationed there likely phantom IIs. Wikipedia also lists Lemnos airport as supporting the hellenic airforce.

Time to hand in that degree....

 

[elilupe]

What I want is the EU to move on this. This is a ridiculous case. It's a scam, a political trial. These two are political prisoners, hostages to insane Greek nationalism. Treat Greece accordingly and drop all forms of support to them, including the ongoing loans, untill the political prisoners are released and the charges dropped.

Whoa there Bessie, hold on a bit there. Cutting all worldly ties with Greece over this seems a bit much. What about this points to a case of them being political prisoners? If they were being treated badly, beaten, given an unfair trial, or anything like that, I could see your reaction as a bit more sensible. However, seeing two guys somewhat wrongly arrested(not imprisoned yet, mind you) for being suspected spies and then seeing that they said they were being treated fairly and politely by their captors is not a time for branding it a scam and blaming suspicion on "Insane Greek nationalism".

 

[castlewise]

I love the dual use of the quotes in the title. One of them is quoted to add authenticity to the statement and one of them is quoted to remove authenticity. Can you spot which one

 

[mad825]

There's been such a case before, when a bunch of tourists got arrested. They got a scam trial and were convicted to extremely harsh prison sentences, so it looks pretty bad for these two.

What I want is the EU to move on this. This is a ridiculous case. It's a scam, a political trial. These two are political prisoners, hostages to insane Greek nationalism. Treat Greece accordingly and drop all forms of support to them, including the ongoing loans, untill the political prisoners are released and the charges dropped.

The EU won't do a thing.

Back in 2001, some Dutch and English tourists were convicted and sentenced on espionage. The tourists were plane spotters and they had taken photographs of military jets at an air show.

 

[Petromir]

There's been such a case before, when a bunch of tourists got arrested. They got a scam trial and were convicted to extremely harsh prison sentences, so it looks pretty bad for these two.

What I want is the EU to move on this. This is a ridiculous case. It's a scam, a political trial. These two are political prisoners, hostages to insane Greek nationalism. Treat Greece accordingly and drop all forms of support to them, including the ongoing loans, untill the political prisoners are released and the charges dropped.

The EU won't do a thing.

Back in 2001, some Dutch and English tourists were convicted and sentenced on espionage. The tourists were plane spotters and they had taken photographs of military jets at an air show.

And 13 out of 14 were acquitted on appeal having had their sentences suspended while they appealed. The 14th didn't return to Greece for the appeal hearing. Europe didn't need to do anything drastic.

 

[Inferniac]

So,would you like someone who is Greek,has actually been to Lemnos and has a best friend there explain a few things?

First of all.The vast majority of the locals(and I mean vast) are not even aware about the fact that the game is being made,and the few who are don't really care.The only opposition there was came from the Mayor of one town in Lemnos as a way to gain attention and support.

Also,yes there are installations in Lemnos.People are stationed there as part of their mandatory national service.Besides the airport there are 3 or 4 troop garrisons,machine gun posts all over the island,and a few armored vehicles. Also,there supposedly is a fortified bunker and base inside a hollowed mountain,but for that I cannot be sure.Lemnos is very close to Turkey and serves as an outpost of sorts.

The incident itself is unfortunate and wherever on the Greek internet I've been,people actually show support for the devs. However,the authorities are not completely at fault here. These guys were found with various footage,and reports from here indicate that it wasn't only the video the post mentions. Now,if you were a member of the local authorities with no idea of the game being made,and found two tourists with that footage what would you do? Or what do you expect any other authority in any other part of the world would do? These guys themselves say that they are ok and that they are not mistreated.These processes take some time but I am sure everything will be worked out.

P.S. After a year and a half of forum lurking,I finally welcome myself on the escapist community.Man,this is certainly not what I had in mind for a first post.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

Because all the top secret surveillance networks are just itching for new intelligence on Greece.