The South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS) announced on Wednesday that it will appeal the decision of a Pretoria court to send former President Jacob Zuma back to prison
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th December, 2021) The South African Department of Correctional Services (DCS) announced on Wednesday that it will appeal the decision of a Pretoria court to send former President Jacob Zuma back to prison.
Earlier in the day, the Pretoria Superior Court ordered Zuma to return to jail, recognizing the medical parole granted to him in September as "unlawful." Zuma's defense said it will also appeal the ruling.
"Having carefully studied the judgment, DCS is convinced that another court may arrive at a different conclusion," the DCS said in a statement.
The authority believes that the court misinterpreted the law on correctional facilities and made a mistake by declaring the decision to release Zuma on parole for medical reasons illegal.
In July, the former president was sentenced to 15 months in jail for contempt of court, manifested in his refusal to attend a corruption inquiry during his presidency. Following Zuma's imprisonment in July, civil unrest occurred in several South African provinces, leading to looting and deadly fires. The week-long turmoil caused 342 deaths and led to over 3,000 arrests.
In early September, DCS announced that Zuma was being paroled based on his health and would serve the rest of his sentence under the supervision of community corrections.
