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Footballer’s death term commuted

The Sharjah Court of Appeals reduced the death sentence on former UAE soccer player Fayez Juma, who was accused of murdering a local colleague, to one year and a fine of Dh10,000, on Wednesday.

The judgment was pronounced by Judge Anis Mushaweh. Fayez was expected to be released from prison by today as he had already spent a year in prison, said defence lawyer Salem Obaid bin Sahoo.

Sahoo said this was just the initial ruling. “We cannot discuss the case further until we review with lawyer Abdel Hamid Al Kumaity from Al Kumaity Advocates and Legal Consultants,” he said. Hamid Al Kumaity, the victim’s family lawyer, said he will be appealing the decision along with the public prosecutors.

Fayez was charged with killing his neighbour in an evening brawl in 2008. He was first convicted and sentenced to death, with six other defendants, including his brother.

Fayez was first sentenced to death together with three others in March this year but he won an appeal and was released. He re-joined Sharjah FC’s training sessions after which the family of the deceased filed an appeal and had Fayez rearrested on May 17.

He has been fighting the appeal for the last six months until the Appeal Court came up with its ruling on Wednesday.

According to police reports, three men, including Fayez, overpowered their colleague (victim) during a fight in Sharjah’s Riffa area. They then threw him down and stabbed him in the face with a knife, police said. The report said victim was stabbed four times.

The other defendants, including Fayez’s brother Mohammed, watched all this happen but did not do anything to stop it. His brother was also charged with being drunk during the attack and trying to flee the country after the crime.

amira@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE