Pat Hickey 'should be released from prison and placed under house arrest'

Patrick Hickey is being held at Bangu 10 Prison in Rio

A judge in Rio has recommended that the former Olympic Council of Ireland president, Pat Hickey, be released from prison and placed under house arrest.

Mr Hickey, from Ireland, is being held at Bangu 10 Prison in Rio in relation to alleged mis-selling of tickets for the Olympic Games.

He has not yet been charged and has denied any wrongdoing.

The judge cited Mr Hickey's "critical health" when making the recommendation, Irish broadcaster RTE reports.

• Timeline: Irish Olympic ticket-sale scandal

In addition, the judge said Mr Hickey's imprisonment to date was based on "generic presumptions" and that his potential liberation from jail would not "put at risk the public order, or the application of penal law".

He added that precautionary imprisonment can only be used when the maximum time servable for an offence exceeds four years, which is not the case here.

Earlier this month, Mr Hickey temporarily stood down from his roles as Olympic Council of Ireland president and European Olympic Committees' president.