UAE footballer on death row over drunk murder

A United Arab Emirates court has condemned to death a famous footballer and two other men for using a sword to stab a teammate to death in a drunken street fight, local media reported on Wednesday.

Fayez Jomma, who once played for the UAE national team, his brother Mousa, and another footballer Mohammad Najeeb, were found guilty on Tuesday of killing the victim known only as J.J. with a sword and a knife, 7Days newspaper said.

Although the UAE has the death penalty, which is imposed for crimes including murder and drug trafficking, executions are very rare in the Gulf state.

Abdul Hamid al-Kumaity, the lawyer representing the victim's family, told the Gulf News that his clients were seeking AED 1 million (almost $272,000) compensation "for emotional, psychological and financial damages."

Kumaity told 7Days that the defendants were drunk when they ganged up on the victim near his home in the emirate of Sharjah in May, stabbing him in the face, neck and shoulders.

Jomma played for the national team three years ago and both he and Najeeb played for the Sharjah Football Club until the time of the killing, according to the Gulf News.

If the verdict is upheld, the defendants will be executed by a firing squad.

Jomma's lawyer Ismail al-Saffar told Gulf News he would appeal to the court to reduce the charge from premeditated murder.

The court handed jail sentences ranging from one to three years to six other defendants involved in the incident.