A video published on Instagram during one of the holiest days of the year cost him a year in prison. In Bali, a 26-year-old Swiss tourist, Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, was convicted of insulting Nyepi, the traditional “Day of Silence” observed by the island’s Hindu population.
The sentence was pronounced by the Denpasar court. According to the judges, the tourist would not have limited himself to violating the rules established for the anniversary, but would have published offensive images and messages on social networks despite having been informed of the restrictions by the staff of the villa where he was staying.
What is Nyepi, the day Bali stops
Nyepi is the Balinese New Year and represents one of the most important holidays for Hindus on the island. For 24 hours Bali practically shuts down. Residents and tourists must remain in their homes or hotels, except in emergencies. Streets and beaches remain empty, businesses close and even the international airport suspends operations as normal. Internet access is also severely limited. The aim is to dedicate the day to silence, meditation and introspection. The rules apply to everyone, regardless of religion and nationality.
Zgraggen, however, during the Nyepi celebrated last March, left the facility where he was staying and reached a beach. He then documented everything through Instagram. In one of the videos he was smiling in front of the camera while talking about going out despite the ban. In other content he had called the tradition “crazy” and openly insulted the festival and its rules.
The posts quickly went viral, causing numerous protests among the island’s inhabitants. The police, after the reports received and the checks carried out also through social networks, then tracked down and arrested the young man.
“I was hungry and frustrated”
During the trial, which began in June, the tourist tried to explain his behavior by claiming that he did not fully understand the rules of Nyepi. He said he had been hungry and frustrated because, due to the total closure of the island, he could not get food. He also denied having wanted to offend the Hindu religion or the Balinese population and apologized before the judges.
A reconstruction which, however, did not convince the court. According to the president of the court, Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, the 26-year-old’s behavior has offended the people of Bali, hurt their faith and caused public outrage. The prosecutor’s office had requested a sentence of one year and three months in prison. The judges decided to stop at twelve months.
The case is particularly significant also because in the past other tourists, foreign and Indonesian, had been stopped for going out during Nyepi, but the incidents had generally ended without a criminal trial. This time, however, it was above all the insults published and spread on social networks that weighed heavily.