Indonesia: Two soccer officials jailed over stadium disaster

An Indonesian court on Thursday found two soccer match officials guilty of negligence in connection with one of the worst stadium stampedes in history. One was sentenced to a year in prison, and the other received a prison sentence of 18 months.

The stampede on October 1, 2022, left 135 people dead, with over 40 children among the victims. More than 300 people had to be taken to nearby hospitals.

It occurred during a derby match in Malang, East Java, between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.

'Did not anticipate the chaos'

Abdul Haris, a match official, was convicted "due to his negligence causing people to die," the judge stated in the Surabaya court and imposed a sentence of one and a half years in prison.

Suko Sutrisno, a security official, was given a one-year jail term after he was found guilty of negligence.

"The defendant did not anticipate the chaos because there has never been an emergency situation before. The defendant also did not understand his job as a security official well," the judge said.

Both men have seven days to appeal the verdict.

The former director of the company in charge of running Indonesia's premier league has been named a suspect and is presently under police investigation.

Three police officers have also been charged with negligence and will stand trial. 

The unfolding of the tragedy

The tragedy was sparked by police firing tear gas into the stands, a crowd control measure prohibited by FIFA, soccer's world governing body. Fans attempted to rush out of the 42,000-capacity stadium after home side Arema FC lost to Persebaya Surabaya. 

A fact-finding team tasked by the government with investigating the disaster found that the "excessive" and "indiscriminate" use of tear gas was the top cause of death in the tragedy.

Malaysia's national police have removed several police chiefs from their positions following the tragedy, with nine police officers also having been suspended for professional ethics violations. 

Weeks after the deadly tragedy, Indonesian President Joko Widodo declared that the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, where the fatal stampede occurred, would be torn down and rebuilt according to FIFA standards, with proper facilities that can ensure the safety of both players and supporters.

ss/sms (AFP, Reuters, AP)