Raffaele Sollecito says he is "disappointed" that his acquittal has been overturned in Italy.
Raffaele Sollecito seen in court in 2011 Credit: Reuters
Speaking to the Italian news agency, ANSA, Lawyer, Luca Mauri said: "Today is his birthday, he's 29. He shouldn't be disappointed because he's innocent. He thought the end could be coming to this affair".
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have been ordered to face retrial for the murder of British exchange student Meredith Kercher.
Meredith's body was found in her apartment in Perugia on November 2, 2007. Here are the key events in the six year saga:
November 6, 2007: Amanda Knox is arrested along with Raffaele Sollecito, and Diya "Patrick" Lumumba, the owner of a pub Knox occasionally worked. Lumumba released due to lack of evidence.
December 6, 2007: Ivory coast national Rudy Guede extradited from Germany and arrested upon arrival in Italy
October 28, 2008: Judge indicts Knox and Sollecito on murder and sexual assault charges. Guede convicted of murder and sexual assault and sentenced to 30 years
December 4, 2009: Knox and Sollecito found guilty of murder and sexual assualt, sentenced to 25 years.
November 24, 2010: Appeal trials for Knox and Sollecito open
June 29, 2011: Independent forensics report finds much of DNA evidence used in trial by prosecution is unreliable
October 3, 2011: Knox and Sollecito cleared of the murder of Meredith Kercher.
Meredith's sister 'hopes to find answers' from retrial
Speaking to ITV News from the family home in Coulsdon in south London, Meredith Kercher's sister Stephanie said:
We welcome the news in the sense that we hope to find the answers. We are never going to be happy about any outcome because we have still lost Meredith but we obviously support the decision and hope to get answers from it.
There are still so many unanswered questions, all we have ever wanted to do is do what we can for Meredith and to find out the truth of what happened that night.
Rudy Guede's conviction was on the basis that there was more than one person there so that is something that needs to be looked into.
How extradition requests work between Italy & the US
The US and Italy brought an extradition treaty into force in 1984
It obliges each country to extradite anyone charged with or convicted of an extraditable offence by a jail sentence of more than one year
In this case, Italy must give the US specific documents to show they have "probable cause to believe" that Meredith Kercher was murdered, and Miss Knox committed the offence
It was painful to receive the news that the Italian Supreme Court decided to send my case back for revision when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair.
I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution.
The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family.
Our hearts go out to them. No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity.
Amanda Knox: Heads held high over 'wrong accusations'
In a statement, Amanda Knox added that the prosecutors' theory of her involvement in the murder is "completely unfounded and unfair".
No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity.