Greece Releases Detained Arma III Developers on Bail

[MikeWehner]

Greece Releases Detained Arma III Developers on Bail

Bohemia Interactive's "spies" finally catch a break.

After spending more than five months detained in Greece on spying charges, two Arma III developers from Bohemia Interactive are finally being allowed to return home. Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar need only pay their bail of 5,000 euros each and they are free to return to the Czech Republic.

The two were originally held by authorities in Greece after being accused of photographing certain military facilities in the country. Greece claimed it would levy spying charges against the two men, but Czech President Václav Klaus petitioned to have them released. While Greece has now confirmed that the two are free to return home, it's unclear what additional legal hurdles may remain even after they depart to their homeland.

Buchta and Pezlar have become well known since their imprisonment, and the fact that they are both working on a highly anticipated military simulator only added more drama to the accusations of spying. Bohemia Interactive has denied the pair was doing any work in Greece - photography or otherwise - on its behalf, insisting that the men were simply on vacation.

Whatever the case, their holiday may have gone on a bit longer than they anticipated, but I think we're all glad to see them return to their families.

Source: VentureBeat [http://www.novinky.cz/zahranicni/290316-dvojice-cechu-podezrela-v-recku-ze-spionaze-je-volna.html]

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[Zeren]

About time! I'm glad to see them be able to get home to their families.

 

[Zhukov]

Well, that's nice.

The whole situation is rather farcical really.

 

[Muspelheim]

Phew, at last! I imagine those 10.000 Euros will come in handy, parliament have to pay the heating bills and everything.

 

[Sir Mate]

Um, im glad ,and all ,but wtf is that 5000? for? The luxurious accomodation?
Still ,finally they are free ,and Greece takes an even lower place in my fauvorite country list.

 

[Smolderin]

Well finally! Geeze, I hope once they pay their bail and get back to their country, they'll give Greece the ol' finger whenever they try to pass some legal bullcrap their way. I wonder if there going to go back to their old jobs at Bohemia?

 

[Octorok]

Tremendously good news. Nothing much else to add on this one. Simply that I'm glad they'll get home safe, and hopefully continue to be a part of Bohemia and carry on making great games.

Greece still suck for doing this, but things turned out OK. I'm assuming the espionage charges are going to drop, as it's not really standard practice to let suspected spies go on bail.

Best of luck to the pair of them.

 

[tangoprime]

Phew, at last! I imagine those 10.000 Euros will come in handy, parliament have to pay the heating bills and everything.

Pretty much. This whole thing has been ridiculous.

Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar need only pay their RANSOM of 5,000 euros each and they are free to return to the Czech Republic.

Fixed that for you. I just love when (normally 3rd world) governments release wrongly held people with an exorbitant "bail" to be paid, as if calling it that makes it sound legitimate.

 

[Vhite]

Yes, this is Greece for you. Taking hostages and demanding money because they cant manage their own economy.

 

[GenGenners]

5 months too late. Seriously, this was a mess.

 

[ProtoChimp]

I'm sorry I don't understand, this whole thing confuses the hell out of me and everyone is on one side (for once, rare on an escapist post). Did the two guys do anything wrong or stupid to get them in trouble?

 

[SecondPrize]

I'm sorry I don't understand, this whole thing confuses the hell out of me and everyone is on one side (for once, rare on an escapist post). Did the two guys do anything wrong or stupid to get them in trouble?

They were arrested when trying to leave the country after a vacation with photos of a military airfield, I believe, on their camera/cameras. The Greeks claimed the photos were taken in an area where photography was restricted. The photos were taken on an island which is being modeled in arma III.

 

[RoyalWelsh]

About goddamn time! This whole situation is laughable.

 

[Daaaah Whoosh]

I have to wonder, would they have gotten out if it weren't for the fact that the Internet knew about them? Say they'd been accountants or something, might they still be locked up for spying?

 

[Arizona Kyle]

I have to wonder, would they have gotten out if it weren't for the fact that the Internet knew about them? Say they'd been accountants or something, might they still be locked up for spying?

Something tells me if they were accountants taking pictures of military installations they would actually be spies.....

But glad for their safe return

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

About bloody time. Now how long until someone mods a Greek Espionage mission into ARMA?

Phew, at last! I imagine those 10.000 Euros will come in handy, parliament have to pay the heating bills and everything.

I imagine they could have saved a lot more money by not holding two foreign nationals in prison for 6 months on dubious spying allegations, what with the associated cost to the legal system as well as food and shelter for the prisoners. Though I guess that may explain why they have economic problems to begin with

 

[Ernil Menegil]

Neither the act itself or this bail surprise me in the slightest. Greece is on the fast track to becoming a fascist state once more thanks to its economical collapse. Half the police already professes being adepts of the Golden Dawn, the neo-nazi Greek party, and their favourite hobby is spanking foreigners and immigrants to near death.