Jailed ArmA 3 devs send letter from prison as Czech protests escalate
Devs from Warhorse, 2K Czech and Bohemia Interactive join forces.
ArmA 3 developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar have sent a letter from their Greek cell thanking all those who have wished them well.
The letter, published on the HelpIvanMartin website, was released 80 days into their ordeal.
“We are treated well, but we feel we should rather be with our families than here,” the pair say. “Your effort makes it easier to handle: we enjoy the postcards, community news, pictures and puzzles which are being regularly send by this website's magnificent staff, It seems it will take some time before we could return home and there is certainly much to overcome.
“We do our best to stay optimistic and use this time well: we read, we walk, we chat and discuss and Martin even does some pt. We've already walked hundred of kilometres, read thousands of pages, but our thoughts are always with our families, friends and people who help us in any way.”
The letter comes as a protest was held outside the Greek embassy in Prague. Around 150 people, led by Daniel Vávra, one of the creators of Mafia now making a medieval role-playing game at Warhorse Studios, gathered to protest against what they believe was the unjust arrest of Buchta and Pezlar, who maintain they were simply in Greece on holiday. Greek authorities accuse them of spying on military installations. They face up to 20 years in jail.
The protest organisers handed a petition for their release, signed by 20,000, to the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Greek embassy. A video of the protest is below (enable subtitles for an English translation).
Despite political intervention a resolution seems distant. Greek authorities insist the matter is one for the courts, but strikes have held up proceedings.