An influencer from Russia might face a £55,000 fine and jail for up to six years after posing naked under a holy tree on the Indonesian island of Bali.
Alina, a yoga influencer with over 17,000 followers, posted the naked photo on Instagram, but entrepreneur Niluh Djelantik swiftly reported her to local authorities. He snarled at her and demanded that the police intervene. According to Djelantik, the Russian beauty stood naked in front of the 700-year-old weeping paperbark tree known locally as Kayu Putih.
If proven guilty under local porn laws, the influencer, who has over 17,000 Instagram followers, could face up to six years in prison. The photographs show her positioned on the trunk, her gazing over her side.
The tree is located at Babakan Temple in Tabanan in Bali, Indonesia. Because the massive tree is revered by the people, the naked photographs provoked outrage. Immigration officers are now on the lookout for the Russian.
Alina deleted the naked images off her account and made a U-turn apologetic video on May 4 in response to the uproar. In an apologetic post, Alina stated that she was “embarrassed” and had no prior awareness of the significance of the tree.
The latest video, which showed her fully dressed and worshipping at the base of the sacred tree, came with the message: “I apologise to all Balinese and Indonesian people, I regret my actions.”
In another Instagram post, she wrote, “I unknowingly made a big mistake for which I regret and I want to tell you so that you don’t repeat it. There are a lot of sacred places in Bali and not all of them have information signs about it, as in my case…”
“I love Bali with all my heart and once again I apologize to all residents of Bali and ask for forgiveness,” it further added.
