By . Nick Pisa . Amanda Knox has again stressed her innocence - and desire to meet the family of the British student she is accused of murdering. Knox, 26, is being retried for the murder of Meredith Kercher, but is not attending the hearings in Florence, Italy. She is accused of stabbing Ms Kercher to death and sexually assaulting her. Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica as the case reached its closing stages she said: ’I want to speak to them. I want to tell them I had nothing to do with Meredith's death, that I liked her and we were friends. Scroll down for video . Rewording her thoughts: Amanda Knox has clarified an earlier statement where she said she would go on the run if she is convicted of her roommate's murder . Meredith Kercher was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2007 . ‘When I saw them (Kerchers) in court I wanted to speak with them and I asked my lawyers if I could do that. My lawyer approached them but their lawyers rejected it.’ Knox was initially convicted at that trial in 2009, along with her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 30, but two years ago they were sensationally cleared and freed from jail. The high profile case, which has been marked with controversy, then sparked further headlines last year when that ruling was overturned and the case sent back to trial. Officials switched the hearing from Perugia, where the murder took place seven years ago, to the Florence appeal court where proceedings started in September. Knox has not appeared and explained herself saying: ’It was a really painful decision not to attend the retrial. I wanted to come. I wanted to be present in court. ‘I was put in jail for four years with no proof, but on suppositions.’ Knox added she hoped after being eventually cleared of any involvement it would lead to a meeting with the Kercher family. Support: Kercher's family members (from left to right): Mother Arline, sister Stephanie and brother Lyle, pictured during a news conference in Perugia on October 3, 2011 . She said: ’I know they believe I am the killer of their daughter. They are convinced that I murdered her and so even now it's not the right time to speak with them. ‘That day will come and I hope it will come soon after my innocence has been definitely proved.’ However, she still appeared to be apprehensive over the verdict as she added: ’I have spoken to Raffaele... he is more optimistic than me. If I am convicted then I will be, as they say, on the run.’ Sollecito has made an appearance at the retrial, giving an emotional 15 minute statement proclaiming his innocence and asking the court to ‘give him his life back’. Summing up took place on Thursday and a verdict is expected on January 30, with the Kercher family expected to attend the hearing. Raffaele Sollecito stands in the courtroom ahead of the hearing in the retrial for the murder of Meredith Kercher, in Florence, Italy . Meredith, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox in Perugia in November 2007. Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, 27, has already been convicted of murder and sexual assault and given 16 years and is eligible for parole next year. When asked about Knox's comments, the Kercher family's lawyer Francesco Maresca said: ’Amanda is the accused. This is the moment of the accused. She should stop her declarations.’ He also confirmed that Meredith's brother, Lyle, and sister, Stephanie, would be in Florence for the verdict. Knox's lawyer, Carlo Della Vedova said: ’Amanda is very worried. She is risking 30 years jail and she knows she is innocent. She is not sleeping at night and is closely watching the trial.’ If she is convicted prosecutors have demanded Knox be jailed for 30 years and would seek her extradition from the United States. However, she is unlikely to return from her home in Seattle, as her legal team will argue that she has in effect already been tried and then cleared before this latest case and would claim double jeopardy. Sollecito, on the other hand, who was in court for Thursday’s hearing and has been spending a considerable amount of time in the Dominican Republic, and who also risks jail, has insisted he will remain in Italy for the verdict.
Knox is currently being retried for the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher .
She is not present at the trial, which is taking place in Florence, Italy .
By . Nick Pisa . Amanda Knox has again stressed her innocence - and desire to meet the family of the British student she is accused of murdering. Knox, 26, is being retried for the murder of Meredith Kercher, but is not attending the hearings in Florence, Italy. She is accused of stabbing Ms Kercher to death and sexually assaulting her. Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica as the case reached its closing stages she said: ’I want to speak to them. I want to tell them I had nothing to do with Meredith's death, that I liked her and we were friends. Scroll down for video . Rewording her thoughts: Amanda Knox has clarified an earlier statement where she said she would go on the run if she is convicted of her roommate's murder . Meredith Kercher was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2007 . ‘When I saw them (Kerchers) in court I wanted to speak with them and I asked my lawyers if I could do that. My lawyer approached them but their lawyers rejected it.’ Knox was initially convicted at that trial in 2009, along with her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 30, but two years ago they were sensationally cleared and freed from jail. The high profile case, which has been marked with controversy, then sparked further headlines last year when that ruling was overturned and the case sent back to trial. Officials switched the hearing from Perugia, where the murder took place seven years ago, to the Florence appeal court where proceedings started in September. Knox has not appeared and explained herself saying: ’It was a really painful decision not to attend the retrial. I wanted to come. I wanted to be present in court. ‘I was put in jail for four years with no proof, but on suppositions.’ Knox added she hoped after being eventually cleared of any involvement it would lead to a meeting with the Kercher family. Support: Kercher's family members (from left to right): Mother Arline, sister Stephanie and brother Lyle, pictured during a news conference in Perugia on October 3, 2011 . She said: ’I know they believe I am the killer of their daughter. They are convinced that I murdered her and so even now it's not the right time to speak with them. ‘That day will come and I hope it will come soon after my innocence has been definitely proved.’ However, she still appeared to be apprehensive over the verdict as she added: ’I have spoken to Raffaele... he is more optimistic than me. If I am convicted then I will be, as they say, on the run.’ Sollecito has made an appearance at the retrial, giving an emotional 15 minute statement proclaiming his innocence and asking the court to ‘give him his life back’. Summing up took place on Thursday and a verdict is expected on January 30, with the Kercher family expected to attend the hearing. Raffaele Sollecito stands in the courtroom ahead of the hearing in the retrial for the murder of Meredith Kercher, in Florence, Italy . Meredith, from Coulsdon, Surrey, was found semi naked and with her throat cut in her bedroom of the house she shared with Knox in Perugia in November 2007. Ivory Coast drifter Rudy Guede, 27, has already been convicted of murder and sexual assault and given 16 years and is eligible for parole next year. When asked about Knox's comments, the Kercher family's lawyer Francesco Maresca said: ’Amanda is the accused. This is the moment of the accused. She should stop her declarations.’ He also confirmed that Meredith's brother, Lyle, and sister, Stephanie, would be in Florence for the verdict. Knox's lawyer, Carlo Della Vedova said: ’Amanda is very worried. She is risking 30 years jail and she knows she is innocent. She is not sleeping at night and is closely watching the trial.’ If she is convicted prosecutors have demanded Knox be jailed for 30 years and would seek her extradition from the United States. However, she is unlikely to return from her home in Seattle, as her legal team will argue that she has in effect already been tried and then cleared before this latest case and would claim double jeopardy. Sollecito, on the other hand, who was in court for Thursday’s hearing and has been spending a considerable amount of time in the Dominican Republic, and who also risks jail, has insisted he will remain in Italy for the verdict.
Knox, 26, is being retried for the murder of Meredith Kercher, but is not attending the hearings in Florence, Italy. She is accused of