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The fate of the case is uncertain as one of the three judges presiding over a negligence trial involving the death of Argentinian football player Diego Maradona.

Judge Julieta Makintach announced on Tuesday that she would withdraw from her position following reports that she had taken part in a documentary about Maradona’s passing and its aftermath.

Dalma and Gianinna, Maradona’s eldest daughters, Fernando Burlando and Fernando Burlando, both represented them in court.

While the proceedings are pending, judges are generally prohibited from conducting interviews and other public commentary. A three-judge panel that evaluated the fate of seven healthcare workers who assisted Maradona in his final days has been constituted by Makintach since March 11.

Following Maradona’s death by cardiac arrest in 2020, the group of six have been charged with negligent homicide.

A significant amount of scrutiny has been drawn in by this well-known case in Argentina. Maradona won the 1986 World Cup with the help of the national football team.

His participation in the World Cup that year has since become a sporting legend. Even a foul he committed in the quarterfinal has been dubbed the “Hand of God” because it gave Argentina the victory it had over England, a rival nation that had an ongoing territorial dispute with.

Maradona was named one of FIFA’s two “Players of the Century” in 2000, along with Pele from Brazil.

However, Maradona struggled with addiction, and he died shortly after having brain surgery to remove a blood clot. In turn, questions were raised about whether the football player received adequate medical care during his final years as a result of his death.

A neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who attended him were the defendants in the seven cases. If found guilty, they could spend up to 25 years in prison. Eight people are scheduled to appear in court separately.

The seven main defendants are scheduled to face off against them in court hearings involving more than 190 witnesses. Maradona’s death was “was predetermined,” according to one coroner who testified to the court in March, and most likely came from an “agony.”

However, last week, one of the principal defendants, Leopoldo Luque, demanded that Judge Makintach be sacked from the bench.

When Maradona passed away, Luque was both a personal physician and neurosurgeon. Julio Rivas, Luque’s attorney, claimed that the BBC, a British news outlet, had approached him to participate in the documentary.

Through that conversation, Rivas explained that Juan Makintach, Judge Makintach’s brother, was connected to the documentary’s production company.

Additionally, police alleged that Judge Makintach had approved a camera in the courtroom.

As the case was being reviewed, prosecutor Patricio Ferrari requested that the trial be put on hold for a week on May 20. The trial’s beginning was depicted in footage that the court received from the documentary. The judge appeared to be a central figure in the proceedings.

Judge Makintach has refuted accusations of misconduct. Ferrari, however, argued that Ferrari’s claim that the situation threatens the judiciary’s standing.

Brazilian labor attorneys have filed a lawsuit against BYD, a Chinese automaker, and two contractors over allegations of illegal trafficking of workers to live and work in “analogue” conditions.

The prosecutors, who are accused of enforcing labor laws, announced in a statement on Tuesday that they would seek damages in the amount of 257 million reais ($45 million) from BYD, China JinJiang Construction Brazil, and Tecmonta Equipamentos Inteligentes.

In order to construct a BYD plant in Camacari, in the northeastern state of Bahia, the three companies were accused of trafficking Chinese workers. According to the prosecutors, the companies “extremely degrading” the workers there.

220 Chinese workers were discovered to be living in conditions similar to slavery and those who were victims of international human trafficking in December of last year, according to the statement.

In addition to compensating moral damages, the prosecutors are seeking damages worth 50, 000 reais ($8, 867) per violation multiplied by the number of employees impacted.

Authorities claim they “rescued” 163 Chinese workers from Jinjiang and 57 from Tecmonta during a police raid in December 2024.

The workers were allegedly brought to Brazil with visas that didn’t fit their jobs, according to the prosecution, and they were victims of international human trafficking.

They also allege that the workers’ conditions at the construction site made them rely on their employers almost entirely, withholding up to 70% of their wages and demanding high contract termination costs. According to the prosecutors, some of the workers’ passports were taken away, limiting their ability to leave.

Additionally, the lawsuit details dreadful living conditions, including some stale beds.

According to the prosecutors’ statement, “in one dormitory, only one toilet was identified for use by 31 people,” forcing employees to get up at 4am to wash themselves before their workdays.

Outside of China, Brazil has the largest market for BYD. The Chinese automaker has stated that it is working with the authorities, will respond to the lawsuit in court, and is committed to protecting human rights.

In an effort to “smear” China and Chinese businesses, a company spokesman said in December that allegations of unfavorable working conditions were a part of a campaign.

The Brazilian labor attorneys, however, refuted the claim that their lawsuit was motivated by anti-Chinese sentiment.

In an interview, deputy labor prosecutor Fabio Leal stated that “our lawsuit is very well-founded and contains a significant amount of evidence from the investigation process.”