Following a four-year legal process, we expect to learn within the next hour whether Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito are to be freed following an appeal against their conviction for killing the British student Meredith Kercher.

An eight-member panel of judges in Perugia, Italy, will rule whether Knox, now 24, and Sollecito, 27, will be acquitted of the gruesome 2007 crime or whether they should serve their sentences, 26 years and 25 years respectively. There is a third option, that the judges could decide to reduce their sentences.

John Hooper has provided all the background in this story, including this piece on what potentially happens next. He and my other colleague in Italy, Tom Kington, are both in Perugia, and will be sending me updates.

This is one of the more sensational court cases of recent years, taking in as it does a photogenic main defendant variously portrayed as a temptress witch or an innocent, faithful woman in love, and a shocking crime incorporating allegations of sex games gone wrong.

Amid the spotlight on today's events however, it's worth remembering throughout that at the centre of events remains a 21-year-old Leeds University student, the youngest of four children, who went to Perugia at the start of September 2007, full of excitement at what lay ahead, and was dead just eight weeks later. As Kercher's mother, Arline, told the original trial: "It's such a shock to send your child to school and for them to not come back."

This blog will be covering the verdict and the fall-out from it. Here is a link to our earlier blog today. You can also follow me on twitter at @BenQuinn75

Seats are being taken in the courtroom ahead of the ruling, which is expected to be announced shortly. Knox and Sollecito have already arrived at the court in prison vans.

Matthew Chance of CNN has tweeted:

Media scrum to get in to court. Only 1 person per news organisation allowed in!!! Some old hack tried to block me!

A quick recap on what happened earlier today. In a speech delivered earlier today in near-perfect Italian, Knox asked judges to clear her and Sollecito of Meredith Kercher's murder.

"I want to go home to my life," she told the court. "I don't want to be deprived of my life, my future, for something I have not done."

At a press conference later, members of the Kercher family that the "brutal death" of the British student has been forgotten.

"I think Meredith has been hugely forgotten," said Kercher's sister Stephanie during a hastily called and occasionally chaotic press conference in Perugia on Monday with Kercher's mother Arline and brother Lyle.

"Everyone needs to remember the brutality of what happened and everything she went through, the fear and the terror and not knowing why."

"It is very hard to find forgiveness at this time," said Lyle Kercher. "Four years is a very long time but on the other hand it is still raw."

But as they vouched for the soundness of the convictions, Kercher's sister Stephanie also suggested the family would accept the court's decision if it overturned them when two judges and six jurors return their verdict later this evening.

This verdict is also being watched intently in the US, where supporters of Amanda Knox have been gathering. The Associated Press news agency reports:

With some unable to hold their tears, Amanda Knox supporters in her native city watched on television intently as she pleaded her innocence Monday in an Italian courtroom in the 2007 murder of her British roommate, hoping her days in jail are numbered. "The end is near, and we hope it will be a positive one," said Tom Wright, a friend of Knox's family. With Italy nine hours ahead of Seattle, about a dozen friends and supporters of Knox began gathering Sunday night at a downtown hotel to watch a live feed of the courtroom and await the verdict. They stayed up through the night in their suite, watching a live Internet stream of the proceedings and then switching to TV coverage of the case. They watched as a tearful Knox told an appeals court in Italy that accusations that she killed Meredith Kercher are unfair and groundless.

Members of Meredith Kercher's family - her mother Arline, sister Stephanie and brother Lyle - have just entered the court house.

The Knox family have already taken their seats.

Only 100 journalists, including the Guardian's Tom Kington, have been allowed in to the court. No members of public are there although more than dozen judicial police in plain clothes in court "in case of public disorder", according to CNN's Matthew Chance.

Barbie Latza Nadeau, a US journalist who covers Italy for Newsweek, tweets:

Knox family and kercher family seated on opposite sides of courtroom, media filming both. #amandaknox

Amanda Knox has just arrived in court, flanked as usual by two police officers. She looks incredibly tense and seems to be taking slow, deliberate breaths.

Raffaele Sollecito has also taken his seat, appearing slightly more composed than Knox, who now appears to be on the brink of tears. They have been in prison for more than four years.

The judges and jury have now arrived.

Knox and Sollecito are free after winning the substantive part of their appeal. They are cleared.

Knox has been cleared of the murder charge, as has Sollecito.

Knox has to pay financial compensation to Patrick Lumumba, the bar owner who she initially blamed for the killing.

For clarification, this entry said Knox had lost the appeal, not the appeal on this specific charge. Apologies for this error.

The Knox family are now giving a news conference outside the court.

We are glad that "Amanda's nightmare is over", says her sister in a statement.

She is thanking the judges, those who have provided support from around the world and Knox's judges, "who loved her".

Raffaele Sollecito's father is now speaking on the steps of the court.

He says that the court has given his son back to him, adding: "Raffaele has nothing to do with the death of Meredith Kercher."

He says that he would have liked to talk to the Meredith's family.

The Guardian's John Hooper says that hundreds of people out side the court in Perugia have been chanting "disgrace" after hearing the ruling.

Knox walked out of the court in floods of tears, almost unable to hold herself up, followed shortly afterwards by Sollecito, who showed little expression on his face.

The Press Association adds:

Members of Knox's family smiled and hugged each other after the results were read out by the judge. Some friends and relatives simply clasped their hands over their mouths, seemingly in surprise. Her mother Edda Mellas helped wipe the tears from the face of one of her daughter's friends as the verdict sunk in. Lawyers were also seen embracing and patting each other on the back.

Meredith's brother Lyle and sister Stephanie comforted each other as they remained seated in the courtroom with their mother Arline. Television pictures showed hundreds of people outside the court building, with dozens of cameramen and photographers trying to get pictures. Shouts and jeers could be heard outside the building in reaction to the acquittals.

Some more now on that statement read out earlier by Deanna Knox, Amanda Knox's sister

"We're thankful that Amanda's nightmare is over," she said.

"She has suffered for four years for a crime that she did not commit."

She went on to thank her sister's legal team.

"Not only did they defend her brilliantly, but they also loved her," she said.

"We are thankful for all the support we have received from all over the world - people who took the time to research the case and could see that Amanda and Raffaele were innocent.

"And last, we are thankful to the court for having the courage to look for the truth and to overturn this conviction."

About a dozen Amanda Knox supporters burst into applause and cheers when they learned the murder charge against the Seattle native was being overturned, the Associated Press reports.

The supporters, from the group called Friends of Amanda, were gathered at a downtown Seattle hotel to watch the proceedings on TV.

They breathlessly waited for the slow translation of the verdict. When they learned Knox was being freed, they began chanting, "She's free!" and "We did it!"

In its ruling, the court also cleared Knox's co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, of murder.

There has been no reaction from the Kercher family yet. Arline Kercher, Meredith's mother, left court without commenting and was escorted into a waiting car before being driven away.

Amanda Knox will have to return to her prison cell to complete some formalities. Members of the public and the press have been gathering at the prison, which is about 20 minutes drive from Perugia.

There were scenes of ecstatic delight inside – and furious protests outside -- after the judge's decision, reports John Hooper and Tom Kington in Perugia for the Guardian:



Knox, racked by sobs, was hustled from the courtroom in a detachment of police officers as the members of her family embraced and wept. Sollecito hugged his lead counsel, Giulia Bongiorno. Across the courtroom, the prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini, stood alone while Stephanie Kercher, the victim's sister, consoled her mother, Arline. Outside, a crowd of several hundred mainly young people had been gathering since late afternoon. As news of the verdict swept through the crowd, whistles erupted and then a chant went up of "Vergogna. Vergogna" ("Disgrace. Disgrace.") As defence lawyers emerged from the courthouse, they were greeted with roars of disapproval from the mob, interspersed with the odd cheer. One of Knox's lawyers, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said his client would be released from prison immediately and spend the night with her family at a guest house outside Perugia. She is expected to leave for her home city of Seattle on Tuesday. The first person to reach her after the verdict was announced was Dalla Vedova's junior, Maria del Grosso.

"She was terror-struck", Del Grosso said. "If I had not held her, she would have fallen." The judges confirmed Knox's conviction for slandering her former employer, Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, whom she initially accused of the murder, and increased her sentence from one to three years. But since she has already spent four years in jail, Knox was able to walk free.

The Guardian's Ed Pilkington has filed some more on the US reaction to the ruling:

As the jury verdict announced in the courtroom in Perugia was broadcast around the world, there were cries of "She's free!" and "we did it!" in a packed hotel room in downtown Seattle where a group of Amanda Knox's friends and supporters had gathered hours early anxiously to await the news. People cheered and hugged as if they had just won the Super Bowl. Mark Waterbury, a forensic scientist and key member of the Seattle-based Friends of Amanda campaign, told the Seattle Times moments after the verdict came through that the freeing of Knox had been the work of "four years and thousands of people. We did it!" Tom Wright, a screenwriter and friend of the Knox family, said: "To Amanda herself, we say, way to go kid. We will welcome you with open arms and open hearts." Despite her continuing conviction for defamation, which is cancelled out by the length of time she has already served in prison, Knox will be allowed to leave Perugia within hours. What happens to her next is a matter of conjecture. There has been speculation that an unidentified US television station has arranged for her to fly back to her home in Seattle in a private jet, but that remains unconfirmed. Alternative speculation is that she will want to disappear for a while from public view and to spend some time with her family in a secret location away from the media circus. What is know is that her supporters in Seattle have been talking to local businesses to encourage them to open up opportunities for her. Her family has also indicated that she will be interested in writing a book – for which she would be certain to receive massive advances from publishers around the world.

Now that the initial focus on the ruling has passed, it's time for a proper apology from this end for getting it wrong earlier in saying that the the Knox and Sollecito appeal had failed.

We were too quick to run with our initial understanding of the ruling, as it was being translated, but as soon as we realised the mistake it was corrected immediately.

Amanda Knox's lawyer Carlo dalla Vedova has told the BBC that justice has "superseded" a mistake.

He said that Knox and Meredith Kercher had been friends and he expressed his condolences to the Kercher family on behalf of his client and her family, the Press Association reports:

Asked what Knox would do now, he said: "We're looking forward to taking her back home as soon as possible. "We're going to the prison now to complete the procedure. I know that Amanda wants to go home - she's been far away from home now for four years and she wants to go back to Seattle." He said she had been tense before the hearing as it was a "very important day for her".

He told the BBC: "The justice has superseded and has rectified a mistake. "It was a terrible tragedy at the beginning because of the death of Meredith. "Meredith was a friend of Amanda, so we should never forget this. We have to respect the sorrow of the family. "But there's no winner here. Justice has recognised that Amanda was not involved in the murder." Asked what the American said to him after she heard the result, he said: "She didn't say anything but she was so happy she started to cry. "She had relief. She was extremely worried at the beginning. She was scared. She was feeling that today was a very important day."

Amanda Knox was seen entering Capanne Prison earlier in a people carrier.

Journalist Andrea Vogt tweets:

NBC news producers are reporting big cheers being heard at Capanne prison where #amandaknox is preparing to walk out a free woman.

Amanda Knox has left Capanne prison in a blacked out Mercedes, according to Sky News.

Peter Popham of the Independent tweets:



Weird mood in Perugia's medieval heart, thugs baying for Amanda's blood, robbed of the witch they wanted to burn.

The Associated Press is reporting that Amanda Knox will leave Italy tomorrow.

However, her departure from Italy would not necessarily insulate her from possible future developments in the Italian legal system.

Within 90 days, the judges involved in today's ruling must submit their written verdict. Various parties then have 45 days in which to take the case to Italy's highest appeals court.

Under Italian law, the prosecution as well as the defence can lodge an appeal but it is usually on a point of law or procedure.

Crucially though, Italy has an extradition treaty with the United States. So, in theory, the Italian authorities could ask for her to be returned.

Italian MP Rocco Girlanda, who befriended Amanda Knox during her time behind bars, said outside the prison following Knox's departure: "When the other prisoners said well done to her, she started jumping for joy in the prison."

Luciano Ghirga, another member of Knox's legal team, also spoke of her joy outside the prison.

"We are very, very happy with the verdict and the family are happy," he said.

He also described the case as the biggest in his professional life, adding that the moment of her acquittal had been very special.

Four years on from Meredith Kercher's murder, the Guardian's Tom Kington has been looking back at the last hours of her life.

It was a big night out, commemorated by the photographs posted online of Kercher, 21, in a vampire mask. It was also her last night out. The following evening she opted to watch a video and eat pizza with her English friends at a flat in town, as the Italian students who usually fill the piazzas of Perugia headed home for a long holiday weekend. At 9pm Kercher's friend Sophie Purton was walking her home through the dark streets to the cottage Kercher was renting with two Italian women – who were away that night – and Amanda Knox, 21, a student from Seattle. Isolated and clinging to a slope that falls away from the road circling the hill town, the cottage commands spectacular views over the Perugian hills, but is easy to miss from the road above. What happened next has been the subject of four trials and a supreme court hearing, thousands of pages of reports and rulings by police, magistrates and judges, and a media frenzy that culminated in last night's drama in the Perugia court.

This blog is being wrapped up now. Here is a brief recap on developments:

• There were scenes of delight inside and protests outside an Italian courtroom after judges upheld the appeal by the American student, Amanda Knox, against a 26-year sentence for killing her British flatmate, Meredith Kercher. The judges also overturned a 25-year sentence imposed on her Italian former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito.

• The judges confirmed Knox's conviction for slandering her former employer, Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, whom she initially accused of the murder, and increased her sentence from one to three years. But since she has already spent four years in jail, Knox was able to walk free.

The tension in court as the verdict was delivered exploded into gasps when the presiding judge, Claudio Pratillo Hellmann, began by declaring that the American student's appeal had been rejected, before adding that the rejection only applied to the slander charge.

• Meredith Kercher's family said in a statement: "We respect the decision of the judges but we do not understand how the decision of the first trial could be so radically overturned," the Kerchers said in a statement.

"We still trust the Italian justice system and hope that the truth will eventually emerge."

Meredith's sister, Stephanie Kercher, who was in Perugia with her mother and brother for the verdict, lamented that her sister "has been nearly forgotten."

"We want to keep her memory alive," she said.



• The ruling clears the way for Knox to leave Italy, and about 90 minutes after the verdict was handed down a black Mercedes carrying her was seen leaving the prison.

Even if prosecutors appeal the acquittal to Italy's highest court, nothing in Italian law would prevent her from returning home to Seattle. An Italian lawmaker who has championed her case, Rocco Girlanda, said she was due to fly out on Tuesday from Rome.