Swiss Tourist Jailed For Insulting Hindu Holiday In Bali On Instagram
A Swiss tourist has been sentenced to one year in prison in Indonesia for violating and insulting the Balinese Hindu holiday of Nyepi. The tourist filmed himself breaking the island's strict silence and darkness restrictions, sparking public outrage.
Why it matters
The case underscores the tension between rising international tourism and the enforcement of local cultural and religious traditions in popular travel destinations.
A 26-year-old Swiss tourist was sentenced to prison for a year after he was found guilty of breaking Indonesian law after he violated a Hindu ritual and insulted it on Instagram. Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, a construction worker from Switzerland, filmed a video that he posted to his Instagram story calling the empty beach during the holiday of Nyepi "crazy".He took a video of himself breaking the restrictions observed during the holiday and posted a caption with expletives, according to local media."I made it to the beach. They didn't catch me. It's completely dark. Nobody out here. S*** crazy," he said on social media while recording.Zgraggen was arrested after the video he shared caused anger among Balinese people on social media.Nyepi is an annual Balinese holiday, also known as the Day of Silence, when people maintain silence, fast and meditate.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in