Oscar Pistorius Wants To Leave South Africa

Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have appealed against bail restrictions imposed after he was charged with murdering his girlfriend.

His representatives argue that the double-amputee athlete is not a flight risk and should have the option of travelling outside South Africa as long as he has official permission.

It comes as a close friend said that the athlete is a "broken man".

Pistorius was released on bail on February 22, a week after he was arrested on charges of murdering girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

He says he mistakenly shot Miss Steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder in his home.

Prosecutors believe he killed her intentionally after an argument.

His friend Mike Azzie says the star is a "broken man", and his state of mind has worsened since he had to sell his racehorses to raise money to pay his rising legal fees.

"He has no confidence in his tone of voice and he is just a man that is almost like someone that is walking around in circles and doesn't know where he is going," he told a BBC3 documentary.

"I would say that, just speaking to him, that he is a broken man and that I would go as far to say that he would be on the verge of suicide. It really worries me."

But the Pistorius family has refuted the claim that he is suicidal, releasing a statement which said the athlete "is in deep mourning but despite the tragic circumstances he is certainly not suicidal."

"From the moment we were first informed about the dreadful event of the early morning of 14 February 2013, we have worked hard to come to terms with the sad news of Reeva Steenkamp's death and Oscar's role in it," the athlete's uncle Arnold Pistorius said.

"Oscar, broken as he currently is, believes he has a purpose in life and is working towards that," he added.

Sky's Alex Crawford said: "His family feel that the bail restrictions and conditions are extremely stringent." The application is likely to be heard in the next two weeks.

She added that he was understood to be spending his time at an uncle's house reading the bible.

The appeal was filed on Friday. A copy of the papers was sent by representatives of the Pistorius family to news agencies on Monday.