Athlete: Oscar Pistorius early release put on hold

The CSPB of the Pretoria Prison in which Pistorius is being held decided in June to put him under house arrest, also known as “correctional supervision”.

Justice ministers said Pistorius had been considered for a move to house arrest prematurely, before the required 10-month point of his five-year sentence.

The matter of his release has now been passed on to a parole review board, which has 14 days to consider whether Pistorius should be released.

Once released from Prison, Pistorius will serve out the remaining part of his sentence under house arrest at his uncle’s luxurious Pretoria home.

Pistorius was expected to be released after serving 10 months of a five-year sentence.

A family member said he was shocked by the minister’s decision, adding that the family had planned a “low key welcome” for Pistorius on Friday.

Masutha has asked the parole review board to assess the decision to release Pistorius into supervision.

However, South Africa’s Ministry of Justice confirmed Wednesday that his release has been suspended, saying via a statement that the decision was made because he had not served the legal requirement of one-sixth of his sentence.

The minister kicked the decision back to the parole board.

Lawyers for Pistorius, who is to be released on correctional supervision on Friday, will have until September 17 to file a response, Mfaku explained.

But, South African prosecutors this week lodged an appeal urging that the athlete be convicted of the more serious crime of murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years.

Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide in October a year ago after shooting dead Ms Steenkamp – who would have celebrated her 32nd birthday on Wednesday.

The double amputee insists that he mistook girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013. Running on prosthetic blades, he won gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics before competing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where he ran in the 400-meter race and the 4×400-meter relay.

Pistorius was as an alternative discovered responsible of culpable murder, or manslaughter, for capturing Steenkamp by means of a rest room cubicle door in his residence.