A court in southwestern Yemen yesterday convicted a man of murdering a female Russian doctor and sentenced him to death, court officials said. Omar Ali Faqira, 19, was found guilty of stabbing to death Elina Sankita, an ENT specialist, and stealing her jewelry. Leave to appeal the sentence was denied.Sankita, 30, was found dead at her apartment in the Red Sea city of Houdieda on March 7. Police said she received several stab wounds in the back. The court acquitted a goldsmith who bought the slain physician's jewels from the murderer, but ordered him to return them to the victim's family. The convict is the son of Ali Faqira, owner of Al-Hayat hospital where the victim worked. He pleaded guilty during the court hearings, but refused to respond the judge's questions about motives behind the murder.