Dean Hall calls Bohemia Interactive spying charges “nothing short of absurd.”
Dean Hall, creator of Day Z, wants supporters of the imprisoned Bohemia Interactive developers Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar to contact the Greek Government any way they can. He suggests that they Tweet Prime Minister Samaras, contact their nearest Greek Embassy, or even comment on Lemnos press articles, all in a concerted effort to get Buchta and Pezlar home.
“I was planning on visiting Greece as part of my European holiday,” said Hall in a Facebook comment on a Greek newspaper article, “I will not be doing that, nor will my family.” Several other article commentators said much the same, indicating that their tourist dollars would not be going to Greece this year.
In a Tumbler post on the issue, Hall was more forthright. “The charges are nothing short of absurd,” he said. “This is a disgrace to the video gaming industry, and both of them should be freed immediately.” Hall is incensed not simply because Buchta and Pezlar are colleagues but because they are personal friends, who worked on Day Z with Hall.
Bohemia Interactive are on record as saying that the situation is “an unfortunate and deep misunderstanding.” Buchta and Pezlar’s arrest is unfortunate, but whether or not it is a misunderstanding is open to question. In a previous statement Greek police indicated that the Bohemia developers had entered military facilities despite a warning, though Jay Crowe of Bohemia has called the allegations “false and without substance.” The Czech Embassy in Greece has said that it is closely following the case, but declines to comment to avoid “misunderstanding.”
No word yet from Greek officialdom, but when Arma 3 cropped up on its radar last year, Lemnos government figures expressed concern that their island home was being used as an Arma 3 battleground. “We reserve our legal rights to defend our island’s reputation,” said Mayor Hatzidiamantis at the time. Other Lemnos officials cited security considerations due to the island’s proximity to Turkey, a nation with a long history of conflict with Greece. It would not be difficult to see Buchta and Pezlar’s predicament less as a misunderstanding, than as angered Greeks taking a swipe at a game development company they dislike.
