Maradona Death Trial: Judges Refuse to Step Down

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Judges overseeing the renewed trial into the death of football legend Diego Maradona have rejected a request from the defence to remove two members of the judicial panel. The legal team for Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician and one of seven medical professionals charged, argued that the judges could be biased.

On Wednesday, the panel dismissed the motion, describing the defence’s concerns as “conjecture” and “speculation.” This decision allows the trial to move forward, although a start date has yet to be announced.

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This is the second attempt to bring the case to court. The initial trial, which began earlier this year, collapsed in May after revelations that one of the judges had secretly taken part in a documentary about the case, compromising judicial neutrality. A new three-judge panel was appointed in July to oversee proceedings.

Maradona, widely considered one of the greatest footballers in history, died in November 2020 at the age of 60. He had been recovering at home from brain surgery when he suffered heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, a condition involving fluid accumulation in the lungs.

Prosecutors allege that the medical team overseeing his recovery acted with gross negligence. The charges, labelled as “homicide with possible intent,” imply that the accused continued to act despite knowing their decisions could lead to Maradona’s death. If convicted, they face prison sentences ranging from 8 to 25 years.

 

 

 

Content Credit: Ohidah Oluwaferanmi

Image Credit: Daily sabah.com