ROME (AP) — Amanda Knox has faced another blow as Italy’s highest court has upheld her conviction for slander, concerning her false accusations against a Congolese bar owner in the scandal surrounding the 2007 murder of her British flatmate, Meredith Kercher. This ruling delivers a decisive conclusion to a sensational legal saga that has persisted for nearly two decades.

Knox's conviction stems from an incident during a police interrogation where she incorrectly implicated Patrick Lumumba, her former boss, in the murder. Lumumba spent two weeks in jail due to this allegation, which he claims severely impacted his life and business. Despite her appeal citing violations of her human rights by Italian authorities, the court confirmed her three-year prison sentence for slander.

Now 37, Knox has described the ongoing conflict as a "horrific" emotional burden, stating, "I've been having nightmares about getting a bad verdict and just living the rest of my life with a shadow hanging over me" during her podcast. Despite not facing additional imprisonment since she already served almost four years related to the initial murder trial, this conviction continues to stain her reputation.

After lengthy legal battles, Knox was exonerated for Kercher’s murder in 2015. However, the slander conviction persisted as the last legal hurdle to clear. The court's recent decision was based on a previous ruling from the European Court of Human Rights, affirming that Knox's rights were violated during her detention and questioning. Yet, the appeal failed to erase the consequences of her earlier assertions.

Lumumba has expressed satisfaction with the ruling, emphasizing that it serves as a reminder of Knox's wrongful actions against him. "I believe in Italian justice. I believe Amanda did wrong and slandered me," he stated, as he welcomed the court's decision.

Despite her legal struggles, Knox remains a vocal advocate for the wrongfully convicted and has initiated numerous platforms, including her recent memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning. Knox's fight to clear her name in the realm of public opinion is ongoing despite the judicial verdicts.

As Knox stated, “Living with a false conviction is horrific, personally, psychologically, emotionally. I’m fighting it, and we’ll see what happens.” Her journey continues, and she remains an emblematic figure in discussions surrounding justice and wrongful accusations.

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