Emirati court sentences 5 foreigners to death for murder

An Emirati court has sentenced five people to death who had been convicted in the first-degree murder and robbery of a businessman whose body was discovered in a refrigerator

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- An Emirati court has sentenced five people to death who had been convicted in the first-degree murder and robbery of a businessman whose body was discovered in a refrigerator, state-run media reported.

The criminal court in Ajman, a small, dusty emirate in the United Arab Emirates, delivered the rare sentence Tuesday to five foreigners in the country who allegedly stabbed the expat businessman to death and stole over $29,600 from his home in the city-state, the Dubai government-owned Al-Bayan newspaper reported.

The report did not name the defendants or specify their nationalities, but identified them as five expatriate Asians, aged between 21 and 39. The businessman was also identified as Asian. It was not immediately clear when the crime or ensuing trial and conviction took place.

It also was not immediately clear if the defendants had legal representation.