The release of Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated when he was a baby, is in line with South African sentencing guidelines that say non-dangerous prisoners should spend only one-sixth of a custodial sentence behind bars.
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South Africa justice minister Michael Masutha is seeking legal advice on whether Pistorius’ release is allowable under South African law and whether he has the power to intervene, according to The Guardian.
The paralympian shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on the night of Valentine’s Day in 2013, shooting four times with a large caliber weapon on the door of the bathroom where she was.
Pistorius’s defence team has until September 17 to file its response. “And therefore the correctional supervision and parole board approved the placement of the offender into the system of community corrections with effect on the 21st of August 2015”.
Prosecutors announced their intention to appeal against Judge Thokozile Masipa’s decision shortly after Pistorius’s months-long trial a year ago. He said Pistorius would have undergone psychiatric testing and tests to establish whether he was suitable for release.
Prosecutors in South Africa have filed papers calling for Oscar Pistorius to be convicted of murder, days before he is due to be released on probation.
State prosecutors want his conviction to be reviewed and converted to murder, with a minimum sentence of 15 years.
It is possible to be convicted of murder in South Africa if it is shown that a person foresaw the possibility of someone’s death because of their actions and went ahead anyway.
Pistorius was jailed for five years in 2014 for the culpable homicide of Reeva Steenkamp, a charge equivalent to manslaughter.
Pistorius has been adamant that he killed Steenkamp believing she was an intruder in his home.
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The prosecution’s attraction shall be heard by a panel of both three or 5 judges on the Supreme Courtroom within the central metropolis of Bloemfontein. They could convict Pistorius of murder with a simple 2-1 or 3-2 majority.
