ISLAMABAD/INDONESIA: A football club organiser and a security officer were jailed over last October’s Indonesia football stadium crush that killed 135 people.
The Kanjuruhan stadium crush in Malang, East Java, happened due to police using tear gas to disperse trespassing spectators leading to the occurrence of one of the deadliest football mishaps in history.
On Thursday, an Indonesian court found the organizing committee chairman of the home club Arema FC guilty of negligence that resulted in the loss of life. Abdul Haris was handed over an 18-month jail term.
Suko Sutrisno, a security guard for Arema, received a similar punishment and was handed over a one-year prison term.
The convictions are Indonesia’s first court decisions regarding the catastrophic incident, which harmed more than 600 people.
In addition, three top police officers are on trial for allegedly giving orders to their squads to use tear gas on supporters. The prosecution requested six-year sentences for those found guilty.
Families of Victims Disappointed by Ruling
The families of victims expressed disappointment following Thursday’s ruling in Surabaya. One father who lost his two daughters and wife told CNN Indonesia he was utterly disappointed by the ruling.
