A man convicted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in Italy in 2007 has been freed early from jail.

Rudy Guede served about 13 years of a 16-year sentence, said his lawyer, Fabrizio Ballarini.

He was convicted in 2008 and had been due to be freed on 4 January next year, but a judge brought forward his release date.

Guede was already allowed to leave prison during the day to work in the library at the Centre for Criminology Studies in Viterbo, central Italy.

The murder case, in the university city of Perugia, was the subject of international attention.

Ms Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student, was found murdered in the flat she shared with her American roommate, Amanda Knox.

The Briton’s throat had been cut and she had been stabbed 47 times.

COVID-19: EU could pass two million coronavirus deaths mark by March 2022

Bulgaria bus fire: A dozen children among at least 45 dead in ‘huge tragedy’

COVID news live: UK records another 42,484 daily coronavirus cases and 165 deaths

Knox and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were placed under suspicion.

Both were initially convicted, but Italy’s highest court quashed their convictions in 2015.

Guede, who has denied killing Ms Kercher, was originally convicted in a fast-track trial procedure.

From the Ivory Coast, he was initially sentenced to 30 years but later appealed and his term was reduced.

In 2017, he was refused permission to appeal against his conviction.

He had sought an “extraordinary review” of his case at Florence Appeal Court following the acquittal of Knox and Sollecito two years earlier.

Knox returned to Italy in 2019 and said she felt fearful about going back.

“I’m afraid of being harassed, mocked, framed, I’m afraid that new accusations will be levied against me just because I’m here giving my version of events,” she told a criminal justice conference in Modena, northern Italy.

Related posts:

Why do gorillas beat their chests? New research gives insight into behaviour of silverbacks Six days of escalating violence in Israel and Gaza – how did it happen?  Doubt cast over Tokyo 2021 as Japanese towns ditch plans to host Olympic athletes UK’s Afghanistan evacuation effort ‘down to hours, not weeks’, defence secretary says Hope is all they have left: No good options left for refugees waiting in sewage-filled canal President Xi vows to end Chinese funding of coal plants abroad UK paid out for 289 Afghan civilian deaths, analysis shows – with one family getting just £104 Japan won’t send government delegation to Beijing Olympics amid human rights concerns South African minister calls for sale of Nelson Mandela’s prison key to be cancelled Desmond Tutu, a South African icon who was loved far and beyond his native land History made as first player wins Australian Open on home soil in 44 years Pregnant New Zealand journalist says she’s had to turn to Taliban for help after being denied entry to home country