Murder conviction reinstated of Adnan Syed made famous by 'Serial' podcast

A Maryland appellate court panel has reinstated the murder conviction of Adnan Syed, whose case was made famous by the podcast "Serial". Tuesday's decision was made after it was decided that a lower court had violated the right of the victim's family to attend an important hearing.

This decision means that there will be a redoing of the hearing wherein Syed's conviction was vacated. 

The news comes six months after a Baltimore City Court judge vacated the conviction, reportedly due to problems with how the case's prosecutors had turned over evidence to the defence attorneys two decades ago. 

The case began in February 1999, when Syed was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Min Lee. He was sentenced to life in prison the following year, serving until last year with the vacated conviction.

It is unclear what will happen next. The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the appellate court panel said the "mandate" of its decision would be delayed for 60 days to allow the parties "time to assess how to proceed in response to this Court’s decision."

After his release in September, Syed was hired by Georgetown University as a programme associate for its Prisons and Justice Initiative, where he helped in researching old convictions.

"I reaffirm my unwavering support for my colleague and friend Adnan Syed. Today's ruling does not change the facts in Adnan's case or erase the injustices that led to his wrongful conviction," said the programme's director Marc Howard in a public statement on Tuesday.

"Since Adnan joined the Prisons and Justice Initiative in December 2022, he has become an invaluable part of our team. The positive impact of his insight, hard work, thoughtfulness, and integrity, has been felt by his colleagues and the students we serve," he continued.