Argentina: Trial on Diego Maradona’s Death Declared Null

The court in San Isidro, Argentina, invalidated the trial for negligent homicide against seven members of Diego Maradona’s medical team on Thursday, May 29, 2025. This radical decision followed the recusal of Judge Julieta Makintach, who was implicated for clandestinely participating in a documentary series focused on the case.

This judicial reversal, occurring after more than two months of hearings and the summoning of nearly forty witnesses, reopens a highly explosive case that had captured global attention. Maradona, who passed away in November 2020, remains a legendary figure in football, and the circumstances of his death had stirred strong emotions in Argentina and beyond.

A Series on the Trial

Judge Makintach, one of the three magistrates overseeing the trial, was removed on Tuesday, May 27, after a trailer was shown in court revealing her central role in a documentary series project about the trial.

The presiding judge, Judge Maximiliano Savarino, concluded that this situation had “caused prejudice to both the prosecution and the defense.” He thus ordered the trial to be declared null and void and demanded that a new trial, with different magistrates, be constituted.

Reactions were swift. Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari spoke of “horizontal contamination” in the procedure, justifying the need for a reset of the case. On the defense side, several lawyers argued for the resumption of the trial under new conditions or even a complete restart, given how compromised the procedure seemed.

This trial, which began in March, was expected to continue until July, with two hearings per week. The court did not specify a date for resumption, but the prosecutor expressed hope for a restart before the end of the year. Meanwhile, the families, including Maradona’s daughters, who provided painful testimonies, face an indefinite postponement