Bali court jails Swiss tourist for defying Day of Silence ban

A court on the Indonesian island of Bali has sentenced 26-year-old Swiss national Luzian Andrin Zgraggen to one year in prison for offending a sacred religious observance. Zgraggen was arrested in March after posting a now-deleted video in which he filmed himself walking to an empty beach during Nyepi, Bali's Hindu Day of Silence, calling the scene "crazy" with an expletive-laden caption.

Nyepi is an annual holiday during which the normally busy tourist island falls silent: residents stay indoors and avoid loud noise. The restrictions apply to everyone on the island, regardless of religion, including visiting tourists. During Nyepi, the island's airport closes, internet access is cut, entertainment events are curtailed, and even using electricity is discouraged. Locals typically stock up on supplies beforehand so they can remain home for the day.

This year Nyepi fell on 19 March, and it was on that date that Zgraggen filmed himself defying the stay-indoors rule, later posting the clip to Instagram. The footage spread widely on social media and provoked strong criticism from Balinese users. According to the Associated Press, the presiding judge said the defendant's actions had offended the Balinese people, hurt their religious faith and caused public outrage.

During the trial, Zgraggen said he had not fully understood the scope of Nyepi's restrictions and had not intended to insult local residents, telling the court he deeply regretted his actions and apologised to the Balinese people. Other tourists have previously been detained or deported for breaching Nyepi rules.

Bali's tourism has rebounded strongly since the pandemic, with the island welcoming a record seven million international visitors last year. Alongside that growth, authorities and residents have grown increasingly frustrated with misbehaviour by some foreign visitors, including disrespectful conduct at religious sites, the formation of exclusive tourist enclaves, and traffic violations. Officials have pledged tighter scrutiny of tourists and a crackdown on unruly behaviour.