BREAKING NEWS: Justice Minister rejects early release of Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius will not be released from prison on Friday, the South African Justice Department has announced.
The Justice Minister has referred the decision to release Pistorius to a review panel, according to a report by eNCA, meaning his parole date had been suspended.
The Paralympian athlete was expected to be released from prison in Pretoria on Friday, where he would have carried out the rest of his sentence under house arrest at his uncle’s apartment. Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide for shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door on Valentine's Day in 2013.
However, the Justice Minister said releasing him after he had served just ten months of his five-year sentence was "premature", South African media reported.
Pistorius could still face murder charges after prosecutors launched an appeal against his verdict, which is being considered by the Supreme Court in September. If found guilty of murder, he would almost certainly end up back behind bars.