Adnan Syed, subject of the hugely popular Serial podcast, requests new trial

Adnan Syed, the character at the centre of the most popular podcast ever, Serial, wants a new trial.

Syed, who was given a life sentence for the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, was the character at the centre of the 76 million downloads strong podcast. 

According to the Baltimore Sun, Syed's attorney C. Justin Brown argued in the Maryland Court of Special Appeals that "the errors by trial counsel were of such a fundamental nature that Syed must be given a new trial," because "the circumstances here are worse than the circumstances of any other case in which a court has found ineffective assistance of counsel relating to an alibi issue."

The move is the first step in Syed's effort to overturn his life sentence, since the court last month granted his request to reopen his appeal after two unsuccessful attempts in the last dozen years. 

Syed's story garnered international attention in 2014 when This American Life producer Sarah Koenig raised doubts about whether Syed was properly defended during his first two trials in 2000 by his then lawyer, Christina Gutierrez.

Syed is currently serving a life sentence in western Maryland.