The authorities of the Indonesian island of Bali will expel a Russian influencer and her partner from their territory because the woman took a photo, naked, in a sacred tree, Indonesian immigration officials announced Friday.
Alina Fazleeva, who has thousands of followers on Instagram, posed nude on a 700-year-old tree at a temple in the Tabanan district.
The photo, which was taken by her husband Andrei Fazleev, went viral, sparking a wave of outrage among locals. He too will be expelled.
"It has been proven that both carried out activities that endanger public order and do not respect local regulations"Jamaruli Manihuruk, head of immigration services in Bali, told the press.
The partner "will be punished with expulsion", he added.
Both will be banned from returning to Indonesia for at least six months and will also have to participate in a purification ceremony at this holy site, Manihuruk said.
Alina Fazleeva apologized on Instagram and admitted that she committed a "big mistake".
By way of justification he said that "there are many sacred places in Bali and not all of them are marked".
The Governor of Bali Wayan Koster warned that his administration would no longer tolerate tourists who do not respect the local culture, where the Hindu religion predominates.
Nearly 200 people have been expelled from the island of Bali, a popular tourist destination, for breaking anti-Covid regulations.
Indonesian authorities in April expelled a Canadian actor and self-proclaimed wellness guru who posted a video of himself dancing naked on Mount Batur, a Bali volcano considered sacred.
