Diego Maradona Death Trial In Doubt With Judge's Impartiality In Question

Last Updated:May 27, 2025, 15:19 IST

The trial of seven Argentine health professionals for Diego Maradona's death hangs in the balance over questions about a judge's impartiality.

Fans of Diego Maradona hold a banner that reads in Spanish "Justice for God" outside the court (AP)

More than two months into the trial, seven Argentine health professionals accused in the death of football legend Diego Maradona face uncertainty due to questions about a judge’s impartiality.

The trial was paused last week after defence lawyers claimed the judge’s involvement in a related documentary could be a breach of her duties, influence peddling, or even bribery.

The potential removal of Julieta Makintach, one of the three judges overseeing the case, could invalidate the proceedings.

Maradona passed away on 25 November 2020, at age 60, while recovering at home from brain surgery for a blood clot. He had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions for decades. He died of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema two weeks after surgery and was found dead in bed by his day nurse.

Maradona’s medical team is on trial in San Isidro, a Buenos Aires suburb, concerning the conditions of his recovery at a private home. Prosecutors have described his care in his final days as grossly negligent.

The trial is scheduled to resume on Tuesday, with at least one lawyer expected to request Makintach’s recusal. If she is removed, it must be decided whether she can be replaced or if the trial must restart with a new panel of judges.

“This is a scandal of such magnitude that the whole world is talking about Argentine justice as the worst example," Fernando Burlando, a lawyer for Maradona’s daughters, said on local radio last week.

The issue involves the alleged use of cameras in the courtroom, violating a ban on filming the trial. Makintach denied participating in or authorising any filming, but footage shared in Argentine media over the weekend shows her allegedly being interviewed by a film crew on the eve of the trial.

A producer, in a deposition seen by AFP, claimed they were filming a documentary about Makintach, as “a judge and a woman", but not the trial itself.

Burlando rejected this explanation and said he would request Makintach’s recusal on Tuesday. “She did not act like a judge but like an actress," he stated. “Everyone now feels that this trial is compromised," added Mario Baudry, the lawyer for Maradona’s ex-partner Veronica Ojeda. “It’s healthiest to start over from scratch."

If convicted of “homicide with possible intent", the defendants face prison terms ranging from eight to 25 years. The case has so far focused on the decision by Maradona’s doctors to allow him to recover at home with minimal supervision and medical equipment, rather than in a medical facility.

In her testimony, Maradona’s daughter Gianinna said her father’s carers kept him in “a dark, ugly and lonely" place and seemed more interested in money than his well-being.

(With inputs from AFP)

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San Isidro

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