WALL – In the US state of Maryland, the prisoner who was arrested for allegedly killing his ex-girlfriend and trying to prove his ‘innocence’ for 23 years has been released.
In Baltimore city, Judge Melissa Phinn overturned the conviction of Adnan Syed for murdering his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 1999, finding that prosecutors had not adequately investigated alternative suspects and presented weak evidence.
Syed, 41, came out of the courtroom without handcuffs after he was found not guilty in his last hearing after 23 years.
His lawyer Rabia Chaudry, whose Podcast series about the mistakes in Syed’s case and his book called “Adnan’s Story” attracted great attention, shared photos showing Syed’s return home with his family on Twitter.
Zainab Cahudry, Maryland Director of the American-Islamic Relations Council (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the United States, said they welcomed the decision that overturned Syed’s conviction. The director of CAIR said, “Today’s hearing highlighted the fact that our entire criminal justice system needs to be overhauled. We welcome the long-awaited reversal of Mr Adnan Syed’s conviction and his release the message that prosecutors must follow appropriate procedures while bringing so many life-changing serious charges. We hope he will.” (EXTERNAL NEWS)