PHDI Bali's Response to Swiss Tourist Being Named Suspect for Insulting Nyepi
The Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Bali has responded to the designation of Swiss national Luzian Andrin Zgraggen as a suspect for insulting the Nyepi celebration through a social media post. PHDI Bali Chairman I Nyoman Kenak expressed appreciation for the prompt action taken by law enforcement authorities in handling the case.
“We view this positively and deem it appropriate to commend the law enforcement officials who have investigated the matter,” Kenak stated when contacted by detikBali on Sunday (22/3/2026).
According to Kenak, legal action is crucial as a form of protection for Bali’s religious and cultural values, which are of a sacred nature.
Kenak noted that violations of the Catur Brata Penyepian principles still frequently occur, particularly among those who do not fully understand the meaning of Nyepi. Each adat village, functioning as a grassroots level of governance, actually holds the authority to monitor its territory.
Kenak stressed that supervision during Nyepi is not solely the responsibility of state apparatus but also a strategic role for adat villages as guardians of social order at the local level.
“The social aspect with authority lies with the adat villages, and of course, law enforcement with the authorities,” Kenak added.
Kenak hopes this case will serve as a lesson for foreign tourists and the general public to better respect Bali’s local wisdom, especially in the observance of sacred religious days like Nyepi, which is carried out with full solemnity.
Previously reported, the Bali Regional Police (Polda Bali) named Luzian Andrin Zgraggen as a suspect in an alleged criminal case of insulting religion and beliefs. The Swiss tourist is suspected of insulting Nyepi Day through a social media post.
Head of Public Relations for Polda Bali, Commissioner Ariasandy, revealed that the suspect designation followed a series of investigations culminating in a case review on Saturday (21/3). The handling of this case stemmed from a cyber patrol that discovered the post on the Instagram account @luzzysun.
“From the cyber patrol results, a post containing elements of insult towards Nyepi Day was found. Subsequently, profiling was conducted until the identity of the account owner was identified,” Ariasandy told detikBali on Sunday (22/3/2026).
In his post, Luzian wrote a sentence with a crude tone regarding the implementation of Nyepi in Bali. The Swiss man initially explained the rule prohibiting wandering outside during Nyepi in Bali.
Luzian then stated that he would not heed the Nyepi rules. The foreign tourist’s post quickly went viral, sparking strong reactions from netizens.
“A day of silence where you’re not allowed to go outside in Bali is pretty peaceful outside :), fuck Nyepi day and fuck your rules too.” This was Luzian’s Instagram post.