Papa Massata Diack Corruption Retrial Pushed Until December

Last Updated:September 03, 2025, 16:34 IST

Massate Diack, and his father Lamine Diack, who headed World Athletics' predecessor IAAF between 1999 and 2015, had overseen a corrupt network that hushed 23 Russian drug offences.

Papa Massata Diack. (X)

The corruption retrial of Papa Massata Diack, the son of the late disgraced former head of athletics Lamine Diack, has bee postponed until December by an appeals court in Paris on Wednesday.

Massate Diack, and his father Lamine Diack, who headed World Athletics’ predecessor IAAF between 1999 and 2015, had overseen a corrupt network that hushed 23 Russian drug offences in exchange for Russian sponsorship contracts.

Originally sentenced to five years in prison and fined one million euros, Papa Massata Diack had his trial reconsidered by France’s highest court, which ordered a rehearing at the Paris appeals court in 2024.

At the appeals court on Wednesday, lawyers for Papa Massata Diack and Habib Cisse, another of the six men convicted in 2020, requested additional time to present their case, resulting in the trial being postponed until December 8.

During the 2020 trial, the prosecution claimed that Papa Massata Diack and his father managed a corrupt network aimed at concealing drug offences and delaying or erasing sanctions for Russian athletes who had doped. This concealment allowed Russian athletes to compete in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. Consequently, Russian sponsors renewed their contracts with the IAAF.

Papa Massata Diack, who held a prominent position as a marketing consultant for the IAAF, remains in his native Senegal, which refuses to extradite the 60-year-old.

Diack was found guilty of being an accomplice in a bribery scheme and embezzling 15 million euros from the IAAF.

World Athletics, led since 2015 by British double Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Coe, is seeking 41.2 million euros in damages.

News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated!

Location :

France

First Published:

September 03, 2025, 16:34 IST

News sports Papa Massata Diack Corruption Retrial Pushed Until December

Read More