Foreign tourists jailed for insulting Bali’s Nyepi silence
A Swiss national was sentenced to one year in prison in Bali after a court found him guilty of insulting the island’s Nyepi Day silence, local media reported on Thursday.
Source: Kosmo! · August 24, 2026 at 11:01 AM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 24 AUGUST 2026 —
A Swiss national was sentenced to one year in prison in Bali after a court found him guilty of insulting the island’s Nyepi Day silence, local media reported on Thursday.
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Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was punished for posting an Instagram video on March 19 showing himself walking on an empty beach during Nyepi, a Hindu-Balinese day when strict noise and movement bans are observed. In the now-deleted clip, he called the hush “crazy,” sparking public outrage before his arrest the same month. The judge ruled his actions offended Balinese sensibilities and inflamed public anger.
Zgraggen told the court he did not grasp the severity of the rules and had no intent to insult local culture. Nyepi, a public holiday in Bali, requires everyone—including tourists—to remain indoors and refrain from noise or activity.