UAE sentences killers of Moldovan-Israeli citizen Zvi Kogan to death, life imprisonment

The UAE on Monday sentenced four individuals involved in the kidnapping and murder of Moldovan-Israeli citizen Zvi Kogan in November 2024.

Three defendants have been sentenced to death for the premeditated murder with terrorist intention. The fourth accomplice was handed down a life sentence by the State Security Division of the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeal.

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On November 25, the Ministry of Interior revealed the identities of the three perpetrators, identifying them as Uzbek nationals. Their names are: Olimpi Tohirovic (28), Mahmoud John Abdel Rahim (28), and Azizbek Kamilovic (33).

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The arrests came after Kogan's family reported him missing on November 21. Three days later, UAE authorities confirmed they were looking for the missing man. The same day, the ministry announced that Kogan had been found murdered and the three suspects had been arrested.

Authorities in the Emirates were able to carry out the arrests with the help of Turkey, where the suspects had fled to and were caught during a secret operation by Turkish intelligence and police, as per Reuters. They were subsequently extradited at the request of the UAE government.

The three suspects along with a fourth accomplice were soon after ordered by the Attorney General, Counselor Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, for an urgent trial in January 2025, after investigations revealed that they had stalked the victim and killed him.

The evidence presented by the State Security Prosecution to the court included the defendants’ detailed confessions to the crimes of murder and kidnapping, in addition to forensic and autopsy reports, tools used in the crime, and witness testimony.

The court unanimously ruled to sentence the three defendants who committed the murder and kidnapping to death, and to sentence their fourth accomplice who assisted them to life imprisonment and deportation from the country following the sentence.

As per UAE law, death penalty rulings are subject to appeal by cassation by operation of law and are referred to the Criminal Cassation Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court to review and decide the appeal.

The Attorney General affirmed that the ruling embodies the UAE's unwavering commitment to combating terrorism in accordance with the highest standards of justice and the rule of law, along with ensuring a fair trial.

Who was Zvi Kogan?

Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old emissary, had been residing in the UAE under Moldovan identification documents, as per local authorities. He was living in Abu Dhabi with his wife Rivky.

In addition to his outreach, the Kogan also ran a kosher grocery store

An emissary for the Chabad Hasidic movement in the UAE, he was laid to rest in Israel. In a statement after Kogan's murder, the group said that the Chabad community and the international Jewish community at large were “shocked, grieving and outraged”.

They called on world leaders to take action and said it "trust that the UAE will work with the countries in the region to bring the perpetrators to justice, and hold all those involved accountable for this act of sheer evil”.

UAE, world's response

The Israeli prime minister's office first announced the disappearance of Zvi Kogan.

Soon after, the UAE stressed that the country would spare no effort to keep its citizens, residents, and visitors safe. It also stated that it would use "all legal powers to respond decisively and without leniency to any actions or attempts that threaten societal stability", reiterating its readiness to take all necessary steps to maintain harmony and peaceful coexistence.

Meanwhile, Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE President, took to X to say that the UAE would "remain a land of safety, a haven of stability, a society of tolerance and coexistence..."

The UAE also offered its condolences to the family of Zvi Kogan. The authorities thanked Turkey for assisting with the arrest of the suspects accused of killing the Israeli-Moldovan rabbi.

UAE ambassador to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, also offered his condolences to Kogan's "family, friends and community over his senseless death".

After the emissary's body was found, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office denounced the killing as a "heinous" act, adding that Israel would do everything it could to bring those responsible to justice.

The statement also added, "I greatly appreciate the cooperation with the UAE in the investigation of the murder. We will strengthen the ties between us precisely in the face of the attempts of the axis of evil to damage the peaceful relations between us. We will strengthen them, and we will also work to expand stability in the region."

Iran, on the other hand, put rumours to rest as it rejected allegations of its involvement in the murder of the Israeli citizen, as per a statement issued by Iran's embassy in Abu Dhabi to Reuters.

In a statement, the spokesperson of the US's National Security Council, Sean Savett, also expressed his condolences to Rabbi Kogan's family, the Chabad-Lubavitch community, the Jewish community, and all those mourning his death.

The US described the killing as a "crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence", emphasising that it was an attack on the UAE's stance against violent extremism.

The statement further added that the US government was working with Israeli and UAE authorities and had extended assistance where needed.