A Swiss man has been sentenced to one year in prison on the Indonesian resort island of Bali after insulting a sacred Hindu holiday.
A judge in the city of Denpasar found the 26-year-old guilty of making derogatory remarks on social media about the traditional "Nyepi," or Day of Silence.
On that day each year, people on the predominantly Hindu island are required to stay home and forgo work, the internet and entertainment. Streets and beaches are empty, except for special patrols tasked with ensuring that silence is observed. Even the international airport is shut down.
According to the public prosecutor's office, the Swiss tourist was informed about the Day of Silence rules by hotel staff when he arrived in Bali in February.The 26-year-old arrived in Bali in February and has been kept in pre-trial detention since his arrest in MarchImage: Ni Komang Erviani/AFP
In video clips posted to Instagram, he boasted that he had defied the restrictions and walked to a beach during the observance. He also ranted against the tradition, calling it "crazy" and using an expletive.
