Nightmare on vacation: Tourist bragged about violating "Day of Silence" in Bali – and was sent to a year in prison
A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a 26-year-old Swiss tourist, Lucien Andrin Zgraggen, to one year in prison for violating the island's "Day of Silence" (Nyepi), a sacred Hindu holiday. He was convicted under Indonesia's criminal code after posting on social media, boasting about breaking the restrictions that forbid leaving homes during the holiday. The tourist filmed himself on the beach, called the tradition "crazy," and sparked outrage among locals.
A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a 26-year-old Swiss tourist, Lucien Andrin Zgraggen, to one year in prison for violating the "Day of Silence" (Nyepi), the sacred Hindu holiday on the island. Zgraggen was convicted under Indonesia's new criminal code after posting on Instagram, boasting about breaking the restrictions that forbid leaving homes during the holiday. In videos, he is seen smiling on the beach, calling the tradition "crazy" and using a curse word. The posts were widely shared and sparked outrage among Balinese residents, who saw them as disrespectful. Authorities located the tourist at a villa in Legian following public complaints. During his trial, Zgraggen claimed he did not intend to offend, was hungry and frustrated, and did not understand the extent of the restrictions. The court determined that the villa staff had informed him of the restrictions, and that his actions harmed the residents' faith and provoked public anger. The sentence is unusual by Bali's standards, as similar cases in the past typically ended without prosecution.