A decision is set to be made on the future of Oscar Pistorius on September 18 ©Getty Images

Oscar Pistorius will spend at least another three weeks behind bars after it was confirmed a parole board review into whether he will be released from prison will take place on September 18.

It had been widely mooted that the six-time Paralympic champion, handed a five-year sentance after being convicted of culpable homicide after shooting dead girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day in 2013, would be released earlier this month.

With the 28-year-old having served just 10 months in jail, the South African Justice Department said however, that the decision to release him to house arrest was taken too early.

Under South African law, an offender is eligible for release after serving one-sixth of a jail sentence of five years or less.

This would be 10 months in Pistorius' case, a period he has will have served next month but had not when the initial parole board approval for his release was given in June.

Pistorius's family have said in a statement how they have "taken note" of the September date but offered no further comment.

Oscar Pistorius arriving to hear his initial sentance last October ©Getty Images
Oscar Pistorius arriving to hear his initial sentance last October ©Getty Images

The review is now expected to take place a day after the deadline for Pistorius's lawyers to submit papers to the Supreme Court in response to a separate appeal by prosecutors seeking a murder conviction.

Prosecutors want a panel of judges to overturn the culpable homicide verdict in favour of a murder charge.

The Supreme Court appeal is scheduled to be heard in November.

The double amputee insists that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder when he fired four shots through a bathroom door on Valentine’s Day in 2013.

The International Paralympic Committee ruled last October that Pistorius will not be able to compete at any major event, including Rio 2016, for five years, even if he was to be released before his five-year sentence is complete.



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June 2015: Oscar Pistorius set to be released from jail 10 months into five year sentence
March 2015: Pistorius' lawyers fail in attempt to block appeal against culpable homicide guilty verdict