A US judge on Monday overturned the conviction of a man who served more than 20 years in prison for the murder of his ex-girlfriend – a case that received global attention thanks to hit podcast Serial.

Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn reversed the conviction of Adnan Syed, 42, who has been serving a life sentence since 2000 for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee.

Phinn ordered Syed, who appeared in court in a white shirt and kippah, to be released immediately on his own “in the interests of justice and fairness.”

Lee’s body was found in a shallow grave in the woods of Baltimore, Maryland, in February 1999. The 18-year-old had been strangled.

Syed has steadfastly maintained his innocence, but his multiple appeals have been rejected, including by the US Supreme Court, which declined to hear his case in 2019.

Last week, Baltimore City District Attorney Marilyn Mosby surprisingly announced that she had asked a judge to vacate Syed’s conviction while further investigations are conducted.

Assistant prosecutor Becky Feldman told the judge Monday that the decision was prompted by the discovery of new information about two alternative suspects and the unreliability of the cellphone data used to convict Syed.

“The state has lost faith in the integrity of its beliefs,” Feldman said. “We need to make sure we’re holding the right person accountable.

“We will continue our investigation,” she said, promising “to do everything we can to bring justice to the Lee family.”

Prosecutors now have 30 days to either file new charges or dismiss the case.

Syed’s case garnered global attention when it was picked up by Serial, a weekly podcast where a US journalist reviewed his conviction and cast doubt on his guilt.

His case was also the subject of a four-part documentary on the HBO channel called The Case Against Adnan Syed.

The “Serial” podcast – a blend of investigative journalism, first-person narration and dramatic storytelling – focused on Syed’s story in its first season in 12 compelling episodes.

Both Syed and Lee were high school honor students and children from immigrant families – he Pakistani, she South Korean – who had kept their relationship secret from their conservative parents.

Prosecutors said during the trial that Syed was a despised lover who felt humiliated after Lee broke up with him.