Bali Deports Russian Tourist for Taking Indecent Photo on Mount Agung

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A foreign tourist from Russia was deported after taking a photo in an indecent pose at a sacred area or the peak of Mount Agung, Bali. The man also got customary sanctions as a result of his actions.

Head of the Ngurah Rai Airport’s Immigration Office Sugito explained that the action of the 24-year-old foreigner, IC, was discovered after his photo went viral on social media. On March 27, IC fulfilled the Immigration summons and underwent an examination.

“The results of the inspection revealed that IC visited Indonesia for the first time and arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on February 12. IC used a visit visa on arrival (VoA) and his residence permit is valid until April 12,” Sugito said in his statement, Wednesday, April 5.

IC’s photo that made rounds on social media showed him lowering his pants. The post quickly became the spotlight of the Balinese people, considering that Mount Agung is a sacred area.

Customary Sanctions and Deportation

After undergoing an examination, IC was proven to have violated Article 75 paragraph 1 of Law Number 6 of 2011 concerning Immigration. IC was sentenced to deportation. However, IC underwent customary sanctions first and took part in a cleaning ceremony (pengerapuh) on Sunday, April 2, 2023.

“IC offered apologies on his knees to Bhatara who was on Mount Agung. The cleaning ceremony was carried out at Pengubengan Besakih Temple, Karangasem, led by the regional leader or Jero.

After undergoing customary sanctions and traditional ceremonies, IC was deported by Immigration and put on the blacklist so he was not allowed to re-enter Indonesia.

“IC was deported from I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport on April 4 to his country using the Emirates EK-369 of the Denpasar-Dubai route and then the Dubai-Domodevovo (Moscow) route. All deportation costs are the responsibility of the person concerned,” said Sugito.

Appeal to foreign tourists

Foreign tourists in Bali keep being in the spotlight due to many cases of violations, such as violating residence permits and not driving properly. Since the beginning of the year, dozens of foreigners have been prosecuted on the island for violating the law.

Barron Ichsan, the head of the Immigration Division of the Bali Regional Office of the Law and Human Rights Ministry appealed to foreigners to comply with the rules and customary rules in Bali. “If a violation is committed, we will not hesitate to take firm action,” he asserted.

Baron also expressed his gratitude to the public who actively reported the activities of foreigners who were suspected of violating laws and regulations while living in Bali. “In accordance with the direction of the Immigration Director General, we only open entry points for useful foreigners including foreign tourists, investors, foreign workers, and the diaspora,” he concluded.

ANTARA

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