^{Zvi Kogan, a Chabad rabbi who was murdered in the UAE. Photo}

On Monday, March 31st, the United Arab Emirates sentenced three individuals to death for the November murder of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in the Gulf nation, Al Arabiya reports.

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The Abu Dhabi Federal Appeal Court ruled that the murder of 28-year-old Zvi Kogan was carried out by the defendants with a “terrorist purpose”.

Kogan had been living in the UAE and represented Chabad, an Orthodox Jewish group with a global presence. The organization works to connect with non-affiliated, secular, and other Jewish communities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office condemned Kogan’s killing, calling it an “antisemitic terrorist act”.

Three defendants were found guilty of his murder. A fourth was sentenced to life in prison. Under Emirati law, death sentences can be appealed. The UAE Interior Ministry said in November 2024 that three of those arrested were Uzbek nationals.

Such crimes are rare in the UAE, considered one of the safest places in the Middle East.

Kogan had lived in the country for several years and was involved in Jewish community outreach. He was reported missing in November. Days later, his body was found in Al Ain, a city near the Omani border.

Al Arabiya, Times of Israel and agencies