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Bali jails Swiss tourist for a year over Day of Silence video
Published 07:52 21 Aug 2026 BST
Updated 08:53 21 Aug 2026 BST
Homelifestyle
He insulted a Hindu holiday
For insulting Nyepi, the Hindu holiday known as the Day of Silence, a Swiss tourist in Bali has been sentenced to a year in prison.
The verdict, as reported by the BBC, comes as Balinese authorities vow to tighten scrutiny of the island's tourists and crack down on unruly foreigners.
The 26-year-old tourist, Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, was arrested in March after a now-removed video, in which he filmed himself walking to an empty beach and called the scene "crazy".
This had sparked anger among Balinese social media users.
Nyepi, which fell on 19 March this year, brings to a halt Indonesia's busiest tourist island.
Residents stay home and refrain from loud noise, the airport shuts, internet access is cut and even using electricity is discouraged.
What's important about the Hindu holiday is that the rules apply to everyone regardless of religion, and this includes even tourists.
Local media reported that Zgraggen broke the ban on going out, in an Instagram post captioned with expletives.
Why Bali is losing patience with badly behaved tourists
The island welcomed a record seven million international visitors last year as numbers recovered past its pandemic lull, and misbehaviour came with them.
Previously, tourists have been detained or deported for breaching Nyepi restrictions, and foreigners penalised for offensive acts at religious sites and traffic offences.
When it comes to British holidaymakers, they are used to holiday warnings issued by the Foreign Office.
However, local custom can bite harder than any advisory, even in destinations chasing record visitor numbers.
