UAE court sentences Jewish rabbi's killers to death and life imprisonment

A court in the United Arab Emirates on Monday sentenced three men to death and one to life imprisonment for the November 2024 kidnapping and murder of Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan-Israeli rabbi who worked as an emissary for the Chabad Hasidic movement in Abu Dhabi, reported the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The four defendants were convicted of premeditated murder for terrorist purposes, marking a swift conclusion to a case that drew international attention and condemnation.

Kogan, 28, was reported missing by his family on November 21, 2024, after which UAE authorities launched an immediate search and investigation. Three Uzbek nationals were initially apprehended in Istanbul through a joint operation between Turkish intelligence and police before being extradited to the UAE.

The case sparked statements of outrage from officials in the UAE, Israel, and the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had called the killing "heinous," while U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett described it as a "crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence."

Kogan, who lived in Abu Dhabi with his American wife, also ran a kosher grocery store alongside his outreach work with the local Jewish community. His body was returned to Israel, where he was laid to rest in Kfar Habad.

The UAE has positioned itself as a model of religious tolerance in the Middle East. In response to Kogan's murder, UAE officials reaffirmed the country's commitment to protecting religious minorities and ensuring safety for all residents and visitors.