Three sentenced to death over murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in UAE

Three people have been sentenced to death by an Abu Dhabi court over the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan-Israeli citizen, in the UAE in November.

Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals' State Security Chamber said the three were "unanimously convicted" of premeditated murder with terrorist intention. A fourth person was sentenced to life imprisonment for aiding in the murder, the state news agency Wam reported on Monday, and is to be deported after serving the term.

In November, Wam reported that authorities had revealed the identities of the three accused of murder, all of whom are Uzbek citizens, as Olimboy Tohirovich and Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, both 28, and Azizbek Kamilovich, 33.

An investigation team discovered the body of Mr Kogan after receiving a missing-person report from the victim’s family. The location of the body and the cause of death have not been disclosed.

Mr Kogan was an envoy of the orthodox Jewish organisation Chabad-Lubavitch, which issued a tribute to him after his death. It said he had moved to the Emirates with his wife to “answer a calling of service”.

Attorney General Dr Hamad Saif Al Shamsi had ordered the four accused to be brought to trial in January, after investigations conducted by the State Security Prosecution found they had tracked and murdered the victim.

The evidence presented by the State Security Prosecution to the court included detailed confessions to the crimes of murder and kidnapping, along with forensic reports, postmortem examination findings, details of the instruments used in the crime, and witness testimonies, Wam said.

Under UAE law, sentences of capital punishment are automatically subject to appeal and are referred to the Criminal Division of the Federal Supreme Court for review and adjudication. The Attorney General stressed that the verdict reflects the UAE’s commitment to combating terrorism in accordance with the highest standards of justice and the rule of law, while ensuring a fair trial. He said the UAE judiciary resolutely confronts any attempts to undermine national security and stability.

'Attack on values of UAE'

Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador to the US, spoke out over the “senseless death” of Mr Kogan. “Today the UAE mourns for Rabbi Zvi Kogan. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and community over his senseless death,” Mr Al Otaiba said on social media at the time of his killing.

“Zvi Kogan’s murder was more than a crime in the UAE – it was a crime against the UAE. It was an attack on our homeland, on our values and on our vision.

“In the UAE, we welcome everyone. We embrace peaceful coexistence. We reject extremism and fanaticism of every kind. We honour Zvi Kogan’s memory by recommitting ourselves to these values. Now, we are more determined than ever to protecting and sustaining the Emirates as a shining and enduring example of diversity, acceptance and peace.”