Argentine prosecutors requested prison terms of up to 12 years for the medical staff charged over the death of football legend Diego Maradona, arguing their decisions could have saved his life.
Argentine prosecutors asked a court on Thursday for prison sentences of four to 12 years for a group of health professionals on trial over the death of football star Diego Maradona in 2020, accusing them of neglect.
“They carried out actions contrary to the act of healing and placed Maradona in a situation of abandonment, leaving him to his fate,” prosecutor Patricio Ferrari said as he opened his closing arguments at the court in San Isidro, in Buenos Aires province.
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Diego Maradona, captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team, died of a heart attack on November 25, 2020, while recovering at a rented house on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The 60-year-old had undergone surgery two weeks earlier to remove a subdural hematoma. According to the autopsy, the immediate cause was a pulmonary edema produced by heart failure.
Six years later, the courtroom in Buenos Aires is relitigating the decisions made in his final days, from the choice of home care to the monitoring of his failing heart.
🚨 JUICIO POR LA MUERTE DE MARADONA: EL PEDIDO DE LAS PENAS
– Los fiscales piden, sin detención preventiva:
12 años de prisión para Luque (médico)
8 años para Agustina Cosachov (psiquiatra)
5 años para Carlos Díaz (psicólogo)
10 años para Forlini (Obra social)
4 años para Almirón… pic.twitter.com/5kwBTYyGWy— Vía Szeta (@mauroszeta) October 8, 2026
Text reads: “Trial for Maradona’s death: the request for penalties. Prosecutors ask, without remand: 12 years in prison for Luque (doctor), 8 years for Agustina Cosachov (psychiatrist), 5 years for Carlos Díaz (psychologist), 10 years for Forlini (Social work), 4 years for Almirón and Perroni (Nurses)”.
Sentences Requested
Ferrari asked for 12 years in prison and a 10-year ban from practicing medicine for the main defendant, neurosurgeon and personal physician Leopoldo Luque, for simple homicide with eventual intent, which applies when the perpetrator knows his conduct may cause harm and continues anyway.
For the same charge, prosecutors requested 10 years for Nancy Forlini, the home-care coordinator at the private health company, and eight years for psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov. If found guilty, both would also be barred from practicing for 10 years. The requested terms are below the 25-year maximum in Argentina’s penal code for this crime.
Psychologist Carlos Díaz faces a request of five years, and nurse Ricardo Almirón and head nurse Mariano Perroni four years each, plus bans of double the length of their sentences. The three are accused of negligent homicide. Prosecutors asked for the acquittal of clinical doctor Pedro Di Spagna, saying he “had no authority or decision-making power to direct the patient’s health.”
Prosecution’s Arguments
In closing arguments lasting more than four hours, prosecutors focused on Maradona’s inadequate home care during his final two weeks. They said he had no orthopedic bed, first-aid kit or defibrillator, and no permanent ambulance. “There was a group of improvisers who forgot at all times that they were treating a vulnerable and complex patient,” Ferrari said.
Prosecutor Cosme Iribarren said Maradona was not a healthy patient going through recovery, but had a history of cardiovascular, hypertension and kidney problems, anemia and problematic alcohol and drug use. Of Luque, prosecutors said he “did everything possible for things to go wrong” and “ignored signs of heart failure,” despite Maradona’s visible abdominal swelling. Luque has said he faced a “sudden, acute and unpredictable cardiac event.” Defense lawyers have argued that Maradona’s condition was complex and that no crime was committed.
Prosecutors will not seek the defendants’ arrest before a final sentence, but want travel bans maintained. Fernando Burlando, lawyer for Maradona’s daughters Dalma and Gianinna, said he plans to seek somewhat higher penalties. Lawyers for the five children will speak next week, followed by defense arguments of up to three hours each. The three-judge court could issue a verdict before year-end.
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