ARMA devs detained in Greece call incident 'completely absurd misunderstanding'
Bohemia Interactive developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar, currently detained in Greece on what are reported espionage charges, have relayed a statement to their friends and family.
"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," the pair, currently being held in Mytilene, wrote. "We mainly think of you, our families; you have to stay calm and not to worry about us. We hope we will meet soon."
Bohemia continues to state that the two men were on vacation and were not there on official company business. Furthermore, the company states the pair did not enter any military area and did not take any pictures of military objects for use in the upcoming ARMA 3.
"They took photographs and videos in public areas, as countless tourists arriving to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of Greece may well do. 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," Bohemia Interactive stated in a post on the matter. "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 Greek island on which the men were arrested, Lemnos, is featured in ARMA 3, but according to Bohemia is "far from an identical replication of the real place." It goes on that the in-game version is "only 75% of the real island, and it does not attempt to display any real world military installations situated on the island of Lemnos."
