JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African authorities say convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius was let out of prison for four hours last week to attend his grandmother's funeral.

The correctional services department said Tuesday that an elite security unit took the former track star to the funeral Friday morning under a compassionate leave policy for prisoners.

Department spokesman Manelisi Wolela says Pistorius, who fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, asked to attend the funeral and was allowed to do so because he is classified as a "low risk" offender.

The double-amputee Olympian is serving a six-year prison term for murdering Steenkamp and is being held at the Kgosi Mampuru II jail in Pretoria. Prosecutors have said the sentence is too lenient.