A Swiss citizen standing trial over an alleged insult to Nyepi Day has asked the Badung District Court to impose a lighter sentence after prosecutors sought a prison term of one year and three months.
Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, submitted his plea before the panel of judges, arguing that he had no intention of insulting Nyepi Day or the Balinese people and that he did not fully understand the restrictions observed during the Hindu holy day.
The request came after Public Prosecutor Febrina Irlanda charged the defendant with disseminating electronic content considered insulting and offensive to Hindus in Bali.
Prosecutors have sought a sentence of one year and three months’ imprisonment under Article 301 paragraph (1) of Law Number 1 of 2023 concerning the Indonesian Criminal Code (KUHP).
Defendant Says He Did Not Understand Nyepi Restrictions
During the hearing at the Badung District Court on Saturday, 18 July 2026, Luzian told the judges that he was aware of Nyepi Day but did not realise that residents and visitors were prohibited from leaving their accommodation during the observance.
“I’ve heard about Nyepi Day, but I didn’t know that during the celebration, you’re not allowed to leave the house. I had absolutely no intention of insulting Nyepi Day or the Balinese people,” Luzian told the panel of judges.
He explained that he had been visiting Bali as a tourist and became frustrated after discovering there was no food available at the accommodation where he was staying during Nyepi.
“At that time, I was just feeling hungry, frustrated, and emotional because there was no food at my accommodations. I also didn’t expect the post to go viral. I deeply regret my actions, have apologised to the Balinese people, and asked the panel of judges to give me the lightest possible sentence.”
According to Luzian, the video uploaded to his personal Instagram account was intended only to express his frustration to friends rather than to offend the Balinese community or followers of Hinduism.
He also told the court that he voluntarily deleted the post after uploading it. However, before it was removed, another individual had already recorded and reshared the video, allowing it to spread widely across social media.
Luzian again expressed his remorse before the court, saying he hoped the judges would take his apology into consideration when determining the sentence.
Prosecutors Maintain Defendant Was Informed Before Nyepi
According to the prosecution’s indictment, the incident began while Luzian was staying at a hotel in the Legian area during a holiday in Bali.
Prosecutors stated that on the eve of Nyepi, hotel staff had informed him about the regulations that apply during the annual Day of Silence, including restrictions on leaving the premises. Despite receiving that explanation, the defendant allegedly became upset because he could not go outside to buy food.
The indictment states that Luzian subsequently uploaded a 22-second video containing offensive language to his Instagram account. The video later circulated on social media, prompting public criticism and leading to criminal proceedings.
