A Swiss tourist is serving a yearlong sentence on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after prosecutors say he violated a sacred Hindu ritual and insulted it on Instagram.
Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, a construction worker from Switzerland, was found guilty of breaking Indonesian law by posting a provocative video to his Instagram story about the Day of Silence, known locally as Nyepi, on March 19. During this 24-hour period, locals and tourists alike are required to remain in their homes or hotels, keep lights dim and minimize noise, and are urged to perform quiet meditation.
According to court documents, Mr. Zgraggen arrived in Bali on Feb. 10 for vacation. Before the Day of Silence in March, hotel staff had explained the relevant restrictions.
Prosecutors said Mr. Zgraggen became frustrated that he could not freely leave the hotel to find food and “displayed his anger” on social media, according to an online copy of his indictment. One video showed Mr. Zgraggen walking in the dark with a caption that said it was “pretty peaceful outside,” followed by an expletive about the rules around the religious holiday.
After receiving thousands of negative comments, Mr. Zgraggen took down the posts. But the videos were screen-recorded and widely reposted to other popular accounts, drawing criticism from Balinese residents who found his actions disrespectful. After the posts went viral, Mr. Zgraggen re-uploaded the video with the caption “they want smoke,” slang for a fight or argument, according to the indictment. That post, too, received widespread criticism.
Then, prosecutors said, Mr. Zgraggen reached out to a senator in the Indonesian Regional Representative Council to apologize.
When he arrived at the senator’s residence, he was arrested by the Bali police’s cybercrime unit and charged with disseminating hate speech based on religion through electronic information, the police said in a news release. Mr. Zgraggen’s trial began in June, and on Aug. 20 he was sentenced to a year in detention.
The office for the chief district court judge in Denpasar, Bali’s capital, and the public affairs division of the Indonesian National Police did not respond to requests for comment.
While tourists can face consequences for venturing outside during Nyepi, violations are often resolved without prosecution.
Also on March 19, another tourist was detained by officers while walking with luggage along a road in Bali, the police said in a news release. The traveler said he had been forced to walk from his villa after his stay ended, as no vehicles were operating. Police and local security officers known as pecalang, who enforce local customs, helped the man find temporary accommodation.
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