UAE court sentences killers of Israeli-Moldovan to death (2025)

DUBAI: A court in the UAE has sentenced three people to death for the kidnap and murder of the Israeli-Moldovan man Zvi Kogan.

A fourth defendant was given a life sentence for being an accomplice to the killing in November, the UAE state news agency WAM reported on Monday.

The four defendants were “unanimously convicted” by the Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals’ State Security Chamber for the “premeditated murder with terrorist intention” of Kogan.

The body of Kogan, 28, was found a few days after he went missing in Dubai. Within days, the UAE said it had arrested three Uzbek men as the main suspects and thanked Turkiye for helping to detain them.

Attorney General Hamad Saif Al-Shamsi said the verdict reflected the UAE’s “unwavering commitment to combating terrorism.”

He said the UAE judiciary confronts “any attempts to undermine national security and stability” and added that the Emirates is a global model of “coexistence and tolerance, where its laws protect all residents, regardless of religion or ethnicity, ensuring their safety and security.”

During their investigation, prosecutors found that the defendants had tracked and murdered Kogan.

The defendants gave detailed confessions and were also linked to the crime withforensic reports, the post-mortem examination, instruments used in the crime, and witness testimonies.

Update