An appeals court in South Africa on Monday ruled that former President Jacob Zuma should be sent back to prison to finish his sentence since he was wrongfully granted medical parole last year.
For contempt of court, Zuma was handed a 15-month sentence in June 2021. This ruling led to riots in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal
But the former head of state barely served two months before being granted release for an undisclosed medical condition.
Despite the medical committee of the South African prison service believing that Zuma did not meet the requirements for parole, the chief of the service granted it.
Read: Former SA President Zuma Freed After Completing Prison Term
“This court has now determined that Mr Zuma’s release on medical parole was unlawful,” the supreme court of appeal said.
“Mr Zuma in law has not finished serving this sentence. He must return to the Estcourt Correctional Center to do so.”
Zuma has issues associated with hypertension, high blood sugar, and intestinal lesions, according to medical evaluations mentioned in the appellate court’s decision.
Last month, Zuma, 80, was released after completing the jail term.
Read Also: Former South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma Ordered Back to Jail
He turned himself in on July 7 of last year.
Zuma is facing graft charges in relation to a $2.5bn arms deal.
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