Swiss authorities said they were providing consular support to a national sentenced to one year in prison for insulting a Hindu religious day while he was on holiday in Bali.
Luzian Andrin Zgraggen, 26, was sentenced on Thursday after being found guilty of crimes under an Indonesian law against online hate speech, I Wayan Suarta, a spokesperson for the court in Denpasar, said.
Zgraggen was arrested in March after he was reported to police over an Instagram post in which he used expletives while denigrating “Nyepi”, the Hindu Day of Silence that marks the Balinese New Year.
On that day each year, the Hindu-majority island largely comes to a standstill, with work, travel, public entertainment and even electricity use discouraged for locals and tourists alike.
Zgraggen’s crime was punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment under the law. But the court took into account his good behaviour in court as a mitigating factor.
In response to a query, the Swiss foreign ministry in Bern yesterday said it was aware of the case but could not provide further information for privacy reasons.
“The Swiss Embassy in Jakarta is in contact with the competent authorities and is providing support to the person concerned within the framework of consular protection,” it said in a statement.
The ministry said consular services provided to Swiss citizens imprisoned abroad included informing them of “the possibility of a transfer to Switzerland” and verifying that they were kept in dignified conditions.
“In its general information for travellers, the FDFA (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) emphasises in particular the need to respect local laws as well as religious and cultural customs,” the statement added.
“The travel advice for Indonesia also mentions this point.” — AFP
