{
  "id": 16126167,
  "title": "Maradona death trial verdict set for Dec 22",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/maradona-death-trial-verdict-set-for-dec-22",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-22T23:38:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/10/1561712/maradona-death-trial-verdict-set-dec-22"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The verdict in the trial surrounding the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona is set to be handed down on December 22, the court announced on Thursday following six months of hearings. Seven healthcare professionals stand accused of negligence in Maradona's passing. The trial concluded with statements from Maradona's daughter and some of the defendants.\n\nDalma Maradona, speaking with emotion, expressed her hope that her father receives the justice he deserves, like any other individual. The main defendant, Maradona's primary doctor Leopoldo Luque, declared his innocence.\n\nMaradona, aged 60, succumbed to heart failure accompanied by pulmonary edema. He was found deceased in his bed on November 25, 2020, in a rented residence in Tigre, north of Buenos Aires, following minor neurosurgery. Maradona's demise triggered mourning across the country during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nProsecutors sought prison terms ranging from four to 12 years for six of the seven defendants, with 12 years as the maximum sought for Luque. During closing arguments on Wednesday, Luque's defense attorneys dismissed the prosecution's claim that Maradona's death was foreseeable, referring to him as a \"scapegoat\" in the case.",
  "summary": "SAN ISIDRO: The verdict in the trial over the 2020 death of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona will be delivered on Dec 22, the court announced on Thursday, after six months of hearings.",
  "key_points": [
    "Verdict on Maradona's death trial set for Dec 22",
    "Seven healthcare professionals accused of negligence",
    "Maradona died of heart failure and pulmonary edema"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Diego Maradona Death Trial Verdict Set For December 22",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/diego-maradona-death-trial-verdict-set-for-december-22",
        "published": "2026-10-22T23:25:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Maradona’s death trial verdict set for Dec 22",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/maradonas-death-trial-verdict-set-for-dec-22",
        "published": "2026-10-22T23:41:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Maradona trial verdict set for December 22 as daughter demands justice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/maradona-trial-verdict-set-for-december-22-as-daughter-demands-justice",
        "published": "2026-10-23T01:41:47.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}