Swiss tourist on Bali sentenced to one year imprisonment over Nyepi posts
A court in Denpasar sentenced the 26-year-old Luzian Z. to twelve months in prison. He had mocked the Balinese day of silence, Nyepi, on Instagram.
Swiss tourist on Bali sentenced to imprisonment
A court in Denpasar found Swiss tourist Luzian Z. guilty on Thursday and sentenced him to twelve months in prison. According to 20 Minuten, the 26-year-old violated Indonesian criminal law with offensive posts on Instagram.
The occasion was Nyepi, the Hindu day of silence on Bali. On this public holiday, the island's residents — regardless of religion or nationality — are required to stay at home, remain silent and meditate. Streets and beaches remain empty, the airport ceases operations, and the internet is shut down.
Luzian Z. boasted in March of this year on Instagram that he had disregarded the restrictions. In videos, he reported smilingly about a walk to the beach and described the tradition as crazy. In one post he wrote: "On the day of silence, when you are not allowed to go outside on Bali, it is pretty peaceful outside" — followed by "F nyepi day and f your rules to" and a laughing emoji.
The posts provoked considerable outrage on social media. After complaints from the public, the authorities located the Swiss man and arrested him. In court, he explained that he had not intended to insult either the Hindu festival or the population of Bali. He had been hungry and frustrated during the day of rest because he could not obtain food, and had not fully understood the extent of the restrictions.
According to the indictment, Luzian Z. apologised to Balinese politician Ni Luh Djelantik following the wave of public criticism. During a meeting with her, he was taken into custody by investigators from the police cybercrime division. Following a complaint by Djelantik, the authorities initiated criminal proceedings, which now ended with his conviction to one year in prison.
Although tourists have previously been arrested for Nyepi violations — such cases have hitherto typically been settled out of court.
Source: 20 Minuten