What next for Oscar Pistorius as he is released from prison?

South Africa's ex-Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole on Friday, almost 11 years after he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a crime that gripped the world.

Having served more than half his sentence, officials confirmed the 37-year-old double-amputee left the Atteridgeville prison on the outskirts of the capital Pretoria under South Africa's so-called restorative justice programme.

Pistorius, known worldwide as "Blade Runner" for his carbon-fibre prosthetic legs, will not be allowed to speak to the media as a condition of his parole.

Prison warned the media ahead of Pistorius' release that there will be no opportunity to photograph him.

Pistorius killed Steenkamp, a model who was 29 years old at the time, in the early hours of February 14, 2013, firing four times through the bathroom door of his ultra-secure Pretoria house.

The shooting came a year after Pistorius made history by being the first double-amputee to race at Olympic level when he appeared at the London 2012 games.

He was found guilty of murder and given a 13-year jail sentence in 2017 after a lengthy trial and several appeals.

He had pleaded not guilty and denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, saying he mistook her for a burglar.

Pistorius became eligible for parole in March 2023 after he had served half of his 13 years and five months sentence for murder.

He was granted parole on November 24, to take effect on January 5.

South Africa's Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said in November that Pistorius would complete the remainder of his sentence in the country's community corrections system.

He will be under the supervision of the DCS and will be subjected to parole conditions until his sentence expires in