Indonesia Detains Swiss Tourist Over Alleged Insult to Bali’s Sacred Nyepi Holiday

Denpasar— Indonesian authorities have arrested a Swiss national accused of posting abusive remarks about Bali’s Hindu Day of Silence on social media, police said, with the suspect facing up to five years in prison under hate speech laws.

The man, identified by police as Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, was detained on Saturday after being reported over an Instagram post in which he allegedly used repeated expletives to refer to Nyepi, Bali police spokesman Ariasandy said in a statement late Sunday.

Zgraggen is being investigated for spreading hate speech online, an offence under Indonesia’s updated criminal code that carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.

Police said they would confiscate his iPhone as part of the inquiry and question witnesses.Ariasandy did not specify the suspect’s age, in line with common Indonesian practice where some officials use a single name.

Nyepi, observed last Thursday on the island of Bali, is a key religious observance in the Hindu-majority region. The day requires residents and visitors to remain indoors for 24 hours for self-reflection, with work, travel, entertainment and even the use of electricity largely halted.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, has stepped up enforcement against behavior deemed offensive or unlawful by foreign visitors.

Bali, a major tourism destination attracting millions of international tourists annually, has seen a series of high-profile incidents involving foreigners in recent months.Last week, authorities arrested two French nationals and an Italian on allegations of producing and distributing pornography, which is prohibited under Indonesian law.