Youth fined for Soviet and Nazi uniforms

Aug 05, 2008
In cooperation with BNS

VILNIUS- Two high school students wearing World War II-era uniforms during the Sea Festival in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda in the end of July were arrested and are now facing a fine.

One of the young men was dressed in a Nazi-Germany era army uniform, while his friend was dressed as a private of the Soviet Red Army. During the popular festival - many guests were eager to take photographs with the two men, touch their uniforms and ask about the war, the Vilniaus Diena newspaper reported.

On the third day of the festival, the two students were taken into custody under the recently-adopted law banning Nazi and Soviet symbols in public. They now face a fine of 500-1,000 litas (EUR 145-290) for wearing the uniforms in public.

The students had to write a written testimony that their actions was not intended to agitate or instigate hatred. They spent a few hours in police custody.

The two men are members of a Klaipeda soldier's history club that studies and reconstructs uniforms and accoutrements of the medieval ages, the Napoleonic era and the World War II.

A court will decide on the punishment for the two students on Aug. 14.

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