Bali sentences Swiss tourist to one year in prison for offensive video posted on Day of Silence
The case underscores Bali’s island-wide Nyepi rules, which bind tourists as well as residents, as authorities tighten scrutiny of foreign visitors.
pühapäev, 23. august 2026 09:44
A court in Bali has sentenced 26-year-old Swiss tourist Luzian Andrin Zgraggen to one year in prison for insulting Nyepi, the island’s sacred Hindu Day of Silence, BBC News reported.
In a now-removed video, Zgraggen filmed himself walking to an empty beach on 19 March during Nyepi and described the scene as “crazy”. He was arrested in March after the Instagram post, which local media said was captioned with expletives, sparked widespread anger among Balinese on social media.
“What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage,” the presiding judge said, according to the Associated Press. Zgraggen said during his trial that he did not understand the extent of the restrictions and did not mean to insult the Balinese. “I deeply regret what I did, I apologise to the Balinese people,” he said in court.
Nyepi is an annual Hindu holiday during which Bali goes quiet, with people staying home and refraining from making loud noises. The restrictions apply to everyone on the island, including tourists. Bali’s airport shuts down, internet access is restricted, entertainment events are limited and even the use of electricity is discouraged.
Tourists have previously been detained or deported for violating Nyepi restrictions. Bali welcomed a record seven million international visitors last year as tourism recovered past its pandemic lull, while authorities have vowed to tighten scrutiny and crack down on unruly foreigners after misconduct linked to religious sites, tourist enclaves and traffic laws.
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