Bali Court Jails Swiss Tourist 1 Year for Insulting Nyepi on Instagram

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 21

Denpasar District Court sentenced 26-year-old Luzian Andrin Zgraggen to one year in prison after finding he violated Indonesia’s new criminal code by mocking and defying Bali’s Nyepi observance online.
Instagram videos showed him walking to a beach during the islandwide shutdown, calling the tradition “crazy” and using an expletive after villa staff had explained the restrictions.
Public complaints led authorities to track him down at a villa in Legian, and judges said his posts offended Balinese Hindus, hurt their faith and provoked outrage.
Zgraggen told the court he meant no insult, said he was hungry and frustrated during the shutdown, and apologized for not fully understanding the rules.
Nyepi closes Bali’s airport, empties streets and beaches, and cuts internet access for everyone on the island; earlier violations by tourists were usually handled without prosecution.