A court in Milan has ruled that former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi can run for office again, five years after he was convicted of tax fraud.

The Milan daily newspaper Corriere della Sera reported on Saturday that a tribunal had decided on Friday in favour of a request from lawyers for the 81-year-old ex-premier.

Berlusconi's 2013 conviction, stemming from dealings in the media mogul's business empire, left him ineligible for several years to run for or hold public office and forced him to surrender his Senate seat.

The Italian news agency Ansa quoted Milan Chief Prosecutor Roberto Alfonso as saying that prosecutors will decide whether to appeal against the tribunal's decision.

Berlusconi had the option of serving out his prison sentence by doing public service, which he did, helping residents at a facility for Alzheimer's patients.

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