SHARJAH // The death sentence of a UAE national footballer convicted of murder was overturned yesterday. FJ, who also formerly played for Sharjah, was cleared by the Sharjah Appeals Court, while the sentences of his brother, MJ, and another former professional footballer, MM, were upheld. The three Emiratis were sentenced to death in March after a Sharjah court found them guilty of the April 2008 murder of Jasem Yousif, also an Emirati.
The charge sheet indicates that the defendants were involved in a street fight and used swords and knives to slash the victim's face. He bled to death. Six other defendants were sentenced to between one and three years in jail for complicity in the murder, failing to report the crime and aiding and abetting. They were also charged with attempting to conceal evidence - MJ's blood-soaked clothes - and for attempting to smuggle the men charged with murder to Oman to escape prosecution.
MJ was also charged with consuming alcohol, which is prohibited in Sharjah. Four of the six secondary defendants were cleared of all charges by the appeals court; the other two received reduced sentences. Abdel al Kumaiti, who is representing the victim's family in the civil suit, said the family still has the right to dispute the court's ruling: "We respect the ruling and reasons behind the court's decision issued but we still reserve the right to dispute the findings through law number 244.
"The law stipulates that the family of the murder victim can dispute the ruling if a legal error occurred in implementing the law or procedures before the Supreme Court," he said. amustafa@thenational.ae
