Nelson Mandela, the 94-year-old anti-apartheid South African leader who became a global icon for equality, is currently being treated in a hospital for a lung infection. It looked bad, but a recently leaked court document makes it seem even worse than previously thought.

Mandela’s relatives submitted court documents on June 28 in hopes of retrieving the remains of three of his children. Those documents have now been leaked, and they say that Mandela is probably close to death.

“The anticipation of his impending death is based on real and substantial grounds. The applicants are desirous of burying their father and committing him to the earth in which his descendants’ remains lie. Nelson Mandela’s health is perilous. (An) affidavit will be provided from physicians that he is assisted in breathing by a life support machine.”

The subject of Mandela’s health has seen conflicting reports these past few days. Some say that he’s dying while others claim that his health is improving. These leaked court documents seem to finally confirm our worst fears.

In a bit of good news, a South African court did rule in favor of Mandela’s family by ordering his children’s remains to be returned to his childhood village of Qunu. If he does die from this illness, Mandela’s family will at least be at peace knowing that the civil rights leader will be buried next to those that he loved.

In other news, President Obama traveled to South Africa to speak about Mandela. He called him a “personal hero” and said that the world should follow his example:

[h/t: Huffington Post]