Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius to be charged with premeditated murderAugust 17, 2013 - 16:12 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Oscar Pistorius will be charged with premeditated murder on Monday, August 19 and the double-amputee Olympian will go on trial in early 2014, about a year after shooting dead his girlfriend, prosecutors said. In a sombre twist, Pistorius will be indicted on the day the woman he killed, Reeva Steenkamp, would have celebrated her 30th birthday, Belfast Telegraph reported. National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Medupe Simasiku said on Friday that the exact date for the trial had not yet been set and would likely be decided on Monday, Pistorius' next scheduled appearance in court. The indictment papers will be served at Pretoria Magistrate's Court and the prosecution will retain a main charge of premeditated murder, Mr Simasiku said. Pistorius faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison if convicted on that charge. Pistorius was initially charged with premeditated murder for Miss Steenkamp's death for bail purposes while police investigated the circumstances of the Valentine's Day shooting. Police said this week they had completed their six-month investigation and are convinced Pistorius "had a charge to answer to," leading to the indictment. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |