Czechs detained in Greece released on bail

The Czech embassy in Athens will now give provisional travelling documents to the two men.

They were also offered accommodation at the diplomatic office until Thursday when they want to travel to the Czech Republic, the Foreign Ministry said.

"The financial sum of twice 5,000 euros was deposited exactly along the directives of Greek authorities," defence counsel Dagmar Raupachova, who is in charge of the case on behalf of the family, said.

Karel Srol, from the Foreign Ministry press department, told CTK in the morning that only technicalities were dealt with after the payment of the bail.

The Czechs will now fly to Athens where the Czech consul will give provisional travelling documents to them.

The men, employees of a software firm, are suspected of having taken photographs for a new game in the sensitive region along the Turkish border.

It was spoken about a punishment of up to 20 years in prison after their detention. The criminal prosecution will continue even after their return home.

The men are employees of Bohemia Interactive that develops computer games.

According to previous media information, the Greek police said they were taking photographs on Lemnos Island for a new game.

The firm, however, dismissed the information that its employees were in Greece on business and they, too, said later they were on a private holiday in Greece, taking photographs as tourists.

A similar case was in the limelight in October 2011 when three Czechs were arrested on suspicion of spying in Zambia.

According to Zambian authorities, they were taking photographs of entries to barracks and a Zambian air base, for which they faced up to 30 years in prison.

They were released on bail after a week, but were banned from leaving the country and had to regularly report themselves with the police.

At the end of December 2011, the three Czechs who dismissed all accusations, secretly returned to the Czech Republic and Zambia issued a warrant for their arrest.

Last April, the criminal proceeding against them were stopped in Zambia.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz