PRETORIA, South Africa, August 19, 2015 ( Ed Adamczyk ) – South African track star Oscar Pistorius, jailed for 10 months after his culpable homicide conviction, was expected to be released to house arrest Friday until the South Africa’s justice minister blocked his early release.
Justice Minister Michael Masutha said he felt the decision by the parole board to release the athlete after serving only 10 months of his five-year sentence was “premature and without legal basis.”
According to the BBC, the next review by the board could take several months to complete.
The Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, a double amputee known as “the Blade Runner” for his spring-like prosthetic legs, was convicted in September 2014 of culpable homicide, the approximate equivalent of manslaughter, in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. The televised trial riveted South Africa and the international sports world.
Pistorius, 28, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and was originally granted the ability to finish his term under house arrest, a legal procedure typical in South Africa because of its overcrowded prisons. He was expected to live at his uncle’s home in an affluent suburb of Pretoria under conditions which, the court demands, include electronic monitoring, community service, required employment, and no alcohol, drugs or firearms.”
Prosecutors will submit arguments Monday in an appeals court, suggesting Judge Thokozile Masipa committed a legal error in not finding Pistorius guilty of murder. An appeals hearing will begin in November, and Pistorius potentially could receive a much harsher sentence if the court sides with prosecutors.
