While vacationing on the Greek island of Lemnos, two Bohemia Interactive employees — Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar — were arrested after taking photographs and video. There’s been a lot of speculation since this news first broke, so the studio has given an update in the hopes of clearing up any confusion.
The pair came to the island as tourists, according to Bohemia. “Their holiday was a product of their interest in the island, triggered by their work on Arma 3 over the past two years of development. They took photographs and videos in public areas, as countless tourists arriving to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of Greece may well do.”
The company’s statement continues: “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. 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.
“We sincerely hope that the whole situation is no more than an unfortunate and deep misunderstanding. The in-game Limnos is close to completion, and it’s far from an identical replication of the real place. It was heavily modified to fit the game’s backstory, a purely fictional 2035 setting. It was rescaled to only 75% of the real island, and it does not attempt to display any real world military installations situated on the island of Lemnos.”
Not exactly the kind of story we get to run normally. Though Buchta and Pezlar are still being detained in Mytilene, Bohemia Interactive was able to relay this message for family and friends:
“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 to worry about us. We hope we will meet soon.”
