Pistorius granted bail, set to appeal murder conviction

A judge in the High Court in Pretoria granted bail to athlete Oscar Pistorius, whose conviction was changed from manslaughter to murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, until a final verdict is issued in April.

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba accepted the petition for bail filed by his defense, which was not opposed by the prosecution, as he is not deemed to be a flight risk.

Until his appeal is heard, the athlete will remain at the house of his uncle in Pretoria and is allowed to keep his current freedom to leave the house between 7.00 a.m. and midday every day.

He will be electronically tagged and must keep within a 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) radius of the house and surrender his passport.

Pistorius, 29, a sixtime Paralympic gold medalist, was convicted of murder last Thursday by the Supreme Court of Appeal, which overturned the sentence of five years in prison for culpable homicide, handed down in October last year by the High Court in Pretoria.

The Appeal judge said that Pistorius intended to kill when he opened fire through a bathroom door on Feb. 14, 2013, ending the life of Steenkamp, which makes him guilty of murder.