ABU DHABI (Agencies): The United Arab Emirates has sentenced three individuals to death for the murder of Zvi Kogan, a 28-year-old Israeli-Moldovan rabbi, in November. The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court ruled that the killing was committed with a “terrorist purpose,” according to state news agency WAM.
Kogan, a representative of Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish group, had been living in the UAE for several years, actively engaging in outreach to the Jewish community. He was reported missing in November, and his body was discovered days later in Al Ain, near the Oman border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the murder as an “antisemitic terrorist act.” Three defendants were found guilty and sentenced to death, while a fourth received a life sentence. The UAE interior ministry revealed that three of the arrested individuals were citizens of Uzbekistan.
Death penalty sentences in the UAE can be appealed under Emirati law. The case has drawn attention due to the rarity of such crimes in the UAE, which is widely regarded as one of the safest countries in the Middle East.
Kogan’s murder has highlighted the UAE’s commitment to addressing acts of terrorism and maintaining its reputation as a secure and tolerant nation. The verdict underscores the country’s zero-tolerance approach to violent crimes.