NusaBali and RadarBali report that a 26-year-old Swiss national. Luzian Andrian Zgraggen was sentenced to one year in prison by the Denpasar District Court on Thursday. 20 August 2026, found guilty of uploading a video to Instagram deemed insulting to Balinese culture by blaspheming the Balinese day-of-silence “Nyepi.”
The presiding judge on a three-judge panel, Tjokorda Putra Budi Pastima, gavelled Zgraggen legally and convincingly guilty of the criminal offense of broadcasting or displaying defamatory and blasphemous information via information technology as stipulated in Article 301 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Criminal Code (KUHP).
Luzian Andrin Zgraggen was sentenced to one year in prison, less time served.
The sentence was less than the punishment sought by State Prosecutor Febrina Irlanda, who had asked the court to sentence the man to a prison term of one year and three months.
In its judicial deliberations, the panel of judges cited the defendant’s actions causing public unrest and conflict as aggravating factors. Mitigating factors included the defendant having no prior criminal record, behaving respectfully throughout his trial, freely admitting to his actions, expressing remorse, apologizing, and promising not to repeat the offense.
After hearing the verdict, the defendant and his legal counsel stated that they accepted the sentence. Meanwhile, the public prosecutor stated that they were still considering their next legal move of potentially appealing for a heavier sentence.
Luzian Andrian Zgraggen arrived in Bali on 10 February 2026 and obtained a visa on arrival valid for 30 days, which he presumably extended for an additional 30 days. He initially checked into AB Hotel Kuta, later moving to Oak Townhouse Legian on Jalan Lebak Bene in Kuta.
While staying at the Oak Townhouse Legian. Luzian was cautioned by hotel staff regarding the regulations and prohibitions surrounding Nyepi – Bali’s day of mandatory isolation and silence which fell on Thursday, 19 March 2026. The Swiss citizen was told that on Nyepi he was required by law to remain inside the hotel, not to engage in any outdoor activities, not to make noise, and to respect the atmosphere of solemn silence.
“Fuck Nyepi Day and fuck your rules too.“
Pleading that he was feeling hungry and unable to obtain food from the hotel on the “Day of Silence,” Luzian vented his anger and frustration in a video uploaded to his Instagram account, @luzzysun. The 22-second video featured text disparaging Nyepi and was uploaded to his Instagram Story account, @luzzysun, on Nyepi Day in March 2026. In the post, he wrote, “Fuck Nyepi Day and fuck your rules too.” The post was then shared across several social media accounts and went viral.
Unsurprisingly, Luzian’s expletive-laden condemnation of Balinese culture sparked a strong reaction from the Balinese public. Many Instagram users condemned the video’s content; it eventually went viral after being recorded and reposted by the Instagram accounts @idiotsinbali and @balitoday.
Related Links
For Whom the Cuckoo Clock Crows: Swiss Tourist Facing 15 Months in Bali Jail
Insulting Bali and the Balinese Online, Swiss Tourist Arrested in Bali
Wikipedia: Fuck as a Vulgar and Offensive Term
The Do’s and Don’ts of Nyepi Day in Bali
Nyepi: A Millennium & More of Bali Silence
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