UAE Sentences Three to Death for the Murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan

In a pivotal ruling, the UAE's court sentenced three Uzbek nationals to death for the premeditated murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan. The case has led to fears regarding the safety of the Jewish populace in the country, with authorities providing limited details about the motives behind the murder.

The United Arab Emirates has made headlines after sentencing three men to death for their roles in the abduction and murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an Israeli Moldovan religious leader, last November. This ruling comes amid rising anxieties regarding the safety of the relatively small Jewish community residing in the Gulf state.

On March 31, the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals decided on the death penalty, classifying the case as one of “premeditated murder with terrorist intention,” as reported by the state news agency, WAM. A fourth accomplice received a prison sentence and will be subsequently deported, though specifics about their involvement remain undisclosed.

While the identities of the sentenced men were not initially revealed, UAE authorities previously disclosed that they included Olimboy Tohirovich, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, both aged 28, and 33-year-old Azizbek Kamilovich, all hailing from Uzbekistan. The trio was extradited from Turkey and was shown shackled and blindfolded in state media.

According to WAM, the individuals had been monitored closely, leading to their decision to murder the victim. Prosecutors presented a dossier of evidence that included detailed confessions, forensic reports, post-mortem examination results, descriptions of instruments used during the crime, and witness accounts. Despite this extensive evidence, the authorities have yet to disclose the motivations that prompted the assassination of Rabbi Kogan, who was 28 at the time of his death.