Indonesia opens trial for 5 charged over soccer crush deaths

By TRISNADI and NINIEK KARMINI
Associated Press

SURABAYA, Indonesia (AP) — An Indonesian court has begun the trial of five men charged with criminal negligence over the crowd surge at a soccer match that caused the deaths of 135 people. The deadly crowd surge Oct. 1 in East Java’s Malang city was among the world’s worst sporting disasters. The three police officials and two Arema FC officials whose trial began Monday face up to five years in jail if found guilty. An investigation concluded tear gas fired by at least 11 officers caused the thousands of spectators in the stadium to rush for the exits, several of which were locked. The prosecutor said the defendants ignored regulations that mass dispersal weapons shouldn’t be used in stadiums.