The trial into the death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona was suspended again on Aug. 20, after the defense argued that a key piece of medical evidence did not belong to Maradona himself.
The San Isidro court in Buenos Aires province reopened the investigation and trial into Maradona's death in April this year. Seven medical professionals have been charged with culpable homicide for failing to provide adequate care to Maradona before his death.
The defense stated that a kidney test report presented in court was dated 2015, but Maradona was not living in Argentina at the time. His father, Diego Saluciano Maradona, passed away in June of that same year. The defense argued that the report "most likely" belonged to the elder Maradona, rather than Diego Maradona himself.
The presiding judge announced on Aug. 20 that the trial would be adjourned until Aug. 27 to verify the situation.
According to AFP, if the kidney report is confirmed to belong to Maradona's father, it could undermine the credibility of evidence previously presented by the medical committee against the defendants. A kidney specialist who testified in court on August 18 said Maradona suffered from chronic kidney disease, and the medical team should have been highly vigilant, conducting daily blood tests. However, there is no evidence that any blood tests were performed during the two weeks Maradona spent recovering at home before his death.
This marks the second setback in the trial. On March 11, 2025, the San Isidro court held its first hearing. However, a judge participated in filming a documentary about the case without authorization, which included unauthorized court recordings. The judge's misconduct led to the trial being declared invalid, and the judge was removed from office.
On Nov. 25, 2020, Maradona passed away suddenly at his residence in the city of Tigre, Buenos Aires province, at the age of 60. The autopsy results released by Argentine police and prosecutors indicated that Maradona died of heart failure, a natural cause of death. However, his relatives have argued that his personal physician should be held responsible.
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