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| Syrian yoga instructor Wissam Barakeh was paraded by Indonesian immigration officials after being detained for breaking coronavirus restrictions in Bali (AFP Photo/ SONNY TUMBELAKA) |
Gianyar (Indonesia) (AFP) - A Syrian yogi will be kicked out of Bali for holding a crowded gathering that violated the Indonesian holiday island's coronavirus restrictions, a justice official said Wednesday.
House of
Om, a holistic retreat in Bali's cultural hub of Ubud, found itself in a hot
water after a video went viral showing at least sixty foreign yoga enthusiasts
crammed together at a gathering last week.
Few of the
cross-legged participants wore masks or kept a distance from each other,
sparking widespread anger in Bali where coronavirus infections have been on the
rise.
On
Wednesday, the island's immigration department said it would deport retreat
co-founder Wissam Barakeh, 45, to his native Syria for breaking rules that
prohibit gatherings of more than two dozen people.
"(He)
didn't try to cancel the event even after the number of participants exceeded
what's allowed by the government," said Jamaruli Manihuruk, the head of
Bali's justice and legal office.
"Holding
this during the pandemic is dangerous," he added.
Barakeh, in
Bali on a temporary visa, is now being held at an immigration centre until
plans to return him to his war-torn homeland are sorted out, Manihuruk said.
The volume
of flights to and from Bali has plummeted in the midst of the global pandemic,
crippling the island's key tourism sector.
As of
Tuesday, Bali has reported 1,158 confirmed coronavirus infections, with nine
deaths.