Oscar Pistorius has been free since Friday, but he remains a prisoner of the explosion of fear in Iran over a suicide bombing

Former top athlete Oscar Pistorius, convicted of murder, will be released from prison on January 5 – he will be released on parole. Pistorius was classified as a “first-time offender with a positive support system,” it said in November.

Pistorius killed his then girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp with four shots through the toilet door of his villa. The proceedings against the former successful para-athlete dragged on for years and involved several authorities. Pistorius said at the time that he shot several times because he feared an intruder was behind the door. But the evidence was against him.

The now 37-year-old has served approximately half of his sentence of 13 years and five months. Under South African law, he was automatically entitled to a parole hearing.

Shadowy figures in the courtroom

But as the British magazine ‘The Sun’ wants to know, the South African police warned the former top athlete: Pistorius would be a target for the rest of his life for underworld figures and angry friends of Steenkamp’s father.

Already during the trial in 2016, shady figures appeared in the courtroom, such as a self-proclaimed hitman who was said to be friends with the victim’s family, various media reported at the time.

Pistorius is now said to be seeking shelter with his uncle Arnold, who lives in a building in Pretoria. The house in the upmarket suburb of Waterkloof is secured by armed guards and dogs, and the property is said to be surrounded by electric fences and barbed wire.

“He will always have to look over his shoulder.”

Pistorius’ former headmaster Bill Schroder visited him several times. He told the Sun that Pistorius fears for his freedom: “He fears for his safety. That he is attacked if he just goes shopping or goes to the pub.”

A friend of the Steenkamp family told the newspaper that Pistorius should not expect forgiveness; Reeva’s family had never forgiven him for calling the incident an accident. She says: “I don’t know if he can cope with no longer being the center of attention and no longer being the superstar that everyone wanted to be around. He will always have to look over his shoulder.”

The South African NGO Women for change criticized Pistorius’ release and called him a murderer. “He belongs behind bars to serve his entire sentence. Justice was never served! He never made a statement and told the truth!” says an X-post. (jaw/sda)