Denpasar - (AFP) - Bali intends to deport a Russian online influencer and her husband after they took pictures of themselves naked on a sacred tree, thus violating the rules of local culture, officials on the Indonesian island announced Friday.

Alina Vaslieva, whose Instagram account is followed by thousands of users, took pictures of her naked on a 700-year-old tree in a Tabanan temple.

The photo, taken by her husband Andrei Vaslev, went viral on Instagram, angering the communities in Bali.

Mountains, trees and other natural factors are considered sacred in Balinese Hindu culture, as they are believed to represent the dwellings of the gods.

"It has been proven to us that they have carried out activities that threaten public order and do not respect local rules," the official in charge of immigration affairs in Bali, Jamaruli Manihuruk, told reporters, adding, "They will be punished subsequently by deportation."

He added that the couple will be banned from visiting Indonesia for at least six months, and they must participate in a purification ceremony organized in the sacred area in line with local beliefs.

Vasleva posted an apology on her Instagram account in both English and Indonesian, admitting that she had "made a grave mistake".

"There are many sacred places in Bali, and a number of them lack explanatory information, as in the site where we took pictures," she said, adding that "behaving respectfully towards local traditions and while visiting holy places is a very important step."

Bali Governor Wayan Koster confirmed that his administration will no longer tolerate tourists who do not respect the sanctity of local sites.
About two hundred tourists were deported from the island last year, due to some of them violating the rules imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
And last month, a Canadian actor who claims to be a spiritual guide faced deportation from Bali after a video went viral of him performing a traditional Haka dance naked at the sacred Mount Batur.