Freed Arma devs return home
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta return to Czech Republic after 128 days in Greek jail; trial still on the horizon.
Bohemia Interactive developers Martin Pezlar and Ivan Buchta, arrested last year in Greece for spying, have returned home to the Czech Republic. DayZ creator Dean Hall tweeted an image of the pair at the airport, stating, "They're home! And smiling!"
Pezlar and Buchta spent 128 days in a Greek jail. They were released from prison earlier this week after posting bail of €5,000 ($6,686) each.
Though Pezlar and Buchta are now home, they are not out of the woods just yet. Bohemia Interactive's Ota Vrtatko told Kotaku this week that their trial is on the horizon. It was previously stated that the pair faced a 20-year prison sentence if convicted. It is not clear if this remains the case.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
97 comments
I'm glad these guys are finally out. It was a shitty situation they were stuck in. For the amount of "spying" they were doing, 4 months was ridiculous.
2 Like I bet that military facility can be found on Google earth, also I heard tourists took photos of top secret Chinese stealth fighter and nobody was arrested, they don't even care.
@CraigNinten So if you can find it on Google earth why did they go and took photos of it,doesnt make that sense,when they knew it was illegal
3 Like No wonder this two look so happy in that picture. They just got lots of free publicity for Arma III.
They definitely getting the "Employee Of The Month" award. :D
@CaesarIIII Or maybe there just happy to no longer be in prison. I guess you missed that part.
These 2 i dont feel sorry for just like when people go to iraq or iran to HIKE and get abducted. You know damn well your not supposed to be taking photos of secret government places and they did its a shame they had to learn it the hard way.
great, now these guys should go to Area 51 next. perfect place for collecting resources i heard
@bongsyas_23 Except if they did the same thing in most other places, nothing would happen to them.
1 Like @TANKER_LINK I had heard some stories about foreigners (tourists and even a respected Indian lecturer invited by a Greece university) been harassed and maltreated by local police. If all that I heard is true, Greece isn't a friendly place for foreigners at the moment, I for one would surely stay away.
1 Like @hinkwokching @TANKER_LINK Yeah if your idea of a nice time is to take photos of military facilites and expect not to get arrested Greece really isnt for you.
1 Like @hinkwokching @skace13 @TANKER_LINK Look because i live near a Greek naval base in Greece and there is also an American base here(Souda Bay)i can assure you there are numerous signs along the road that taking photos is forbidden so they knew it and you dont have to tresspass in order to be illegal.Also the company that makes the game is also involved in military activites.
@skace13 @hinkwokching @TANKER_LINK I suppose we will know after the trail when all evidence is put on the table, but if they had taken the pictures from public roads or locations, I don't think they could be charged with spying since photo taking in public areas is not illegal. If they had trespassed, on the other hand, that would be a different story.
6 Like @GamerLegend10 Probably it will be an extra mission where you'll have to rescue the devs from a prison.
This what happens when you grow up playing FPSs and one day try to be Captain Price and sneak in a military base like Solid Snake.Join the army.Grow some balls.
1 Like @hangman000 Yeah guns whoooooooo! Army whooo!!! Only way to achieve growing balls whooo!!!
Screw Greece....let them stay in their home country..... No matter what the trail says...it's bull.
@SuperDutchy We all know the BEST spies are ones that don't stick out and look like everyman (or Games Devs)
@SuperDutchy If you saw them I assure you they were not spies *flourishes his butterfly knife*
1 Like Great news. They must be so happy..what an uncertain situation... Now let's see some more Arma 3 stuff
Nothing wrong with the game you just descirbed (aside from the long respawn timer) - it's called EvE Online, and is one of the most profitable, best-reviewed and popular MMOs out there. The difference is, that game launched complete, balanced, and mostly stable, and this game looks like it was made by Zynga.
1 Like And now it's time to lock and load and head back to Greece.
Err... in the game I mean. In the game!
1 Like Well nice to see that they are home at least. Just have to hope for the best. Can't say that it was smart to have classefied photos on them. Hope that they don't have to spend 20 years in jail for a stupid misstake
2 Like The devs said they were doing research for their game, but the company said they were on vacation and that the company had no part in their expedition. Now that they're home, assuming the devs were telling the truth I wonder if they will sue the company.
"We're just making a video game! Call our boss, he'll comfirm it!" "Boss says you on vacation. JAIL!" I would be pissed!
@chibi-acer You can still do research for your work even if your superiors don't know about it.
@chibi-acerMy apologies. I meant to say, 'posted in May 2012'. If this is what you're referring to.
@chibi-acerSource? Sister of Buchta stated on her facebook they were both there for vacation (Basically it was Buchta's wife that was suppose to go, not Martin). To see the island on a personal level.
It is however true devs have been on Lemnos before, to record audio; reference material; and images of flora. This was in May 2012, four months before Ivan and Martin went to Lemnos: http://www.bistudio.com/english/company/developers-blog/304-czeching-out-limnos
What would be the consequences if they simply decide to not return in Greece for their trial? Anyone knows?
Greece could ask Czech Republic to extradite them back to Greece but I think this was for the money.
Eddie you are so obsessed with this thing that you need to stop! Look you become dumber and dumber everyday...You even said that capital city of Turkey is Istanbul..You are losing it..Please relax everything is fine now...You beloved Arma developers are free and ready to make your favorite game...I suppose you're gonna give Arma 3 sth like 9 or 10 out of 10 right?!
Half a year imprisoned without a trial, that's really something. At least they can worry about the trial at home now, with support from the family and friends.
@Hurvl Better than the people that have been arrested their for spying before, who waited, had a trial, were convicted, and then were let go a year later because they weren't spying.
@Hurvl Meh, they shouldn't even bother worrying about the trial, much less actually consider appearing for it. Well, so long as they don't plan on ever returning to Greece, as I don't believe that the Czech Republic would hand them over, even if Greece requested extradition.
1 Like @glassesboy No, I miscounted, 182 days would be half a year, not 128, but it's still a very long time.
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