Youth fined for Soviet and Nazi uniforms

VILNIUS- Two high school students wearing World War II-erauniforms during the Sea Festival in the Lithuanianport city of Klaipeda in the end of July were arrested and are now facing afine.

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

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

The students had to write a written testimony that their actions was notintended to agitate or instigate hatred. They spent a few hours in policecustody.

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

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