Violation of Culture; Bali deports Russian couple

A Russian couple was deported from Bali after posting a nude photoshoot on a sacred tree in violation of local culture. Social media influencer Alina Fazleeva and her husband will be deported from Bali. A couple posed naked on a 700-year-old banyan tree at a temple in Tabanan district.

The picture, which was taken by her husband Andrey Fazleev, was uploaded to Instagram and went viral, irking Balinese communities. Mountains, trees and other natural features are considered holy in Balinese Hindu culture, as they are thought to be the homes of the gods.

The husband and wife will be banned from Indonesia for at least six months, and also had to participate in a cleansing ceremony at the sacred area in accordance with local belief, he added. Almost 200 people were deported from the holiday island last year, some of them for violating Covid-19 protocols. Last month, a Canadian actor was also deported from Bali for doing the naked dance.