Three police officers and two club officials were sent to court on Monday for negligence after 135 people lost their lives last year at a stadium in Indonesia, DPA reports, Agerpres reads.

The defendants in the trial at Surabaya District Court each face a maximum of five years in prison if found guilty of criminal negligence.

„The recklessness of the defendants led to the death of several people,” the indictment states.

Chaos reigned at Malang’s Kanjuruhan Stadium after thousands of spectators stormed the pitch as local side Arema FC lost 3-2 to rivals Persebaya Surabaya on October 1.

The police used tear gas, so that the spectators who rushed to the exits were trampled.

Among those sent to court are the manager responsible for organizing the match from the Arema club, Abdul Haris, and the club’s security officer, Suko Sutrisno.

More than a thousand policemen were deployed to ensure security at the trial in Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city. Supporters of the two rival clubs are not allowed to organize demonstrations near the court.

A commission established by Indonesian President Joko Widodo found that the tear gas used by the police was the main cause of the tragedy and called for an investigation into the actions taken by law enforcement.

Agerpres