Overview
- A Denpasar district court on Sunday sentenced 26-year-old Luzian Andrin Zgraggen to one year in jail for filming himself breaking Nyepi restrictions and posting derogatory content on Instagram.
- Local police arrested him in March after the videos provoked widespread complaints and he spent about five months in pre-trial detention before his trial.
- In court he said he acted out of hunger, said he misunderstood the rules, expressed regret and apologised to the Balinese people.
- The judge ruled his actions offended Balinese faith and public feeling, and the five months already served will be deducted from the one-year term while Swiss consular services are providing assistance.
- The case highlights stricter enforcement of Nyepi, the island-wide day of silence that requires residents and visitors to stay indoors, and follows repeated incidents of tourists disrespecting Balinese customs as visitor numbers have rebounded.