Swiss tourist sentenced to a year in jail for insulting Bali’s sacred Day of Silence

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) – A court on the Indonesian resort island of Bali sentenced a Swiss tourist on Thursday to one year in prison for insulting a sacred Balinese Hindu observance.

Key points

• "What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage, " remarked presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima.
• The Day of Silence, locally known as Nyepi, usually falls in March.
• The Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after staff at the villa where he was staying informed him of the restrictions.

When individuals are required to stay home and are called on to remain silent and meditate, luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was discovered guilty of violating Indonesia's new criminal code by posting social media messages concerning the Day of Silence.

Meanwhile, the Denpasar District Court determined that he posted the messages even after staff at the villa where he was staying informed him of the restrictions.

"What the defendant did offended the Balinese people, hurt their faith and provoked public outrage, " remarked presiding judge Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima. "The defendant must be held accountable for his actions."

Meanwhile, the Day of Silence, locally known as Nyepi, usually falls in March. For a day, the island's world-famous beaches and streets are empty of individuals except for special patrols meant to ensure silence is observed. The airport in Bali, a predominantly Hindu island in Muslim-majority Indonesia, shuts down and the internet is switched off. The restrictions apply to everyone regardless of religion or nationality.

In short, swiss tourist sentenced to a year in jail for insulting Balis sacred is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.