Olympian Oscar Pistorius, charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, was given permission to travel abroad.
South African judge Bert Bam lifted the double amputee Paralympic athlete Pistorius' bail restrictions, saying the "applicant [will] be allowed to use his passport outside South Africa," according to an article on Al Jazeera.
"I find that the magistrate's decision not the grant the appellant his passport to travel abroad was wrong...[and see] no reason why Pistorius should be forbidden from leaving (South Africa) if he's invited to compete in athletic events in other countries" he said.
Pistorius is on trail for allegedly killing Steenkamp on Valentine's Day. Prosecutors claim Pistorius committed premeditated murder after he and Steenkamp argued. According to a recent Chicago Tribune article, he shot into a locked bathroom door four times, killing Steenkamp.
Pistorius said he shot her by mistake, thinking she was a trespasser who had broken into his home.
The athlete's lawyer, Barry Roux, has said Pistorius does not plan on traveling immediately, but needs to have that option in case he must compete in races. Roux also stressed the point that Pistorius would not pull any fast moves because his new allowance to travel internationally would merely be for the opportunity to "earn an income."
"He is not going to run and hide," Roux assured the court. "He is going nowhere."
If he is to travel, Pistorius must provide his exact itinerary before travel. He also is required to return his passport to court authorities within a day of getting back to South Africa.
Pistorius, arguably the world's most well known Paralympic athlete, ran in 2012's London Olympics aside non-paraplegic competitors.
His story has shocked a nation that once held him in esteem for his drive and triumphant leaps in the Olympic world.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
