Swiss Man Insults a Holiday—Now He Faces 15 Months in Prison in Bali

Here's what it's all about

• A 26-year-old Swiss man faces 15 months in prison in Bali over an Instagram post.
• He is alleged to have insulted the Hindu holiday of Nyepi, thereby violating Indonesian law.
• After apologizing, the man was arrested; a verdict has not yet been handed down.

Summary created with

An Instagram post could land a 26-year-old Swiss man in prison on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. Prosecutors have requested a 15-month prison sentence before the District Court in Denpasar, as reported by "The Bali Times" reports.

The man is accused of insulting the Hindu holiday Nyepi in March with a vulgar comment on Instagram. According to the indictment, the post spread rapidly on social media and caused widespread outrage in Bali.

The public prosecutor’s office views this as a violation of the Indonesian Penal Code, which criminalizes electronic content if it is deemed an insult to religious ceremonies. In addition, it requested that the Swiss national be held in custody until the conclusion of the proceedings and that his cell phone be confiscated. The time he has already spent in pretrial detention is to be credited toward any potential sentence.

Arrest Following an Apology

Nyepi is the Hindu New Year in Bali and is one of the island’s most important religious holidays. During this so-called “Day of Silence,” public life and air traffic come to a near standstill for 24 hours.

According to the indictment, the Swiss man later apologized to the Balinese politician Ni Luh Djelantik. Shortly thereafter, he was arrested by the police’s cybercrime unit. The trial will now continue with the defense’s closing arguments; a verdict has not yet been handed down.