UAE Identifies 3 Uzbek Suspects in Murder of Chabad Rabbi Zvi Kogan

The suspects, Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, also 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33, could face the death penalty.

By JNS

The Emirati Ministry of Interior confirmed on Monday that the three suspects arrested for the murder of Chabad-Lubavitch emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan are Uzbek nationals.

Security authorities identified the suspects as Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, also 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33. The ministry circulated pictures of the three men in custody.

Additionally, the ministry announced the initiation of legal proceedings against the suspects, with reports indicating that they could face the death penalty.

The ministry announced the arrests on Sunday night after authorities in the Gulf state pledged swift justice for the rabbi’s murder. The United Arab Emirates normalized relations with Israel in 2021 as part of the Trump administration-brokered Abraham Accords.

“The ministry praised the vigilance and quick action of the security apparatus, ensuring the identification, pursuit and apprehension of the suspects in a short period. It also commended their efficiency in addressing attempts to undermine the safety and stability of the UAE community,” Monday’s statement read in part.

Kogan was allegedly abducted and murdered by the three suspects, acting on orders from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The suspects are believed to have tracked the rabbi, monitored his daily activities, and ultimately kidnapped and killed him. Following the abduction, Kogan’s car was discovered with evidence of violence and blood.

Kogan was last seen alive in Dubai on Nov. 21. His body was found three days later in Al Ain, near the border with Oman, by UAE intelligence and security services, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Foreign Ministry said in a joint announcement on Sunday morning.

“The murder of Zvi Kogan, of blessed memory, is an abhorrent act of antisemitic terrorism. The State of Israel will use all means and will deal with the criminals responsible for his death,” the joint statement said.

Kogan’s wife, Rivky is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, a Chabad emissary, and his wife, Rivka, who were murdered by an Islamist group in India in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

The White House National Security Council condemned Kogan’s murder on Sunday evening.

“Our prayers are with his family, the Chabad-Lubavitch community, the broader Jewish community and all who are mourning his loss,” said Sean Savett, a spokesman for the council. “This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board.”

Washington “is working in close coordination with Israeli and UAE authorities, and we have offered all appropriate forms of support,” the council spokesman added. “We commend the rapid efforts of UAE authorities who now have suspects in custody. Those who carried out this crime, and anyone supporting them, must be held fully accountable.”

Kogan was an emissary for the Abu Dhabi Chabad branch and ran a kosher supermarket in Dubai, where he lived.

Chabad is one of the largest religious Jewish organizations in the world, with branches in scores of countries.

Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of Chabad, stated on Sunday that “the worldwide Chabad community and the international Jewish community at large are shocked, grieving and outraged.

“Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a young Chabad emissary, was kidnapped and murdered in cold blood last week while serving the Jewish community in the UAE,” Krinsky said. “Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries serve in countries around the globe in a spirit of generosity and kindness. Wherever they are stationed to grow and sustain Jewish life, they benefit the larger community as well with their love and light for all humanity.

“It is incumbent upon the authorities of every country where Chabad representatives serve in good faith, to ensure that terror finds no haven within its borders. The targeting of Rabbi Kogan was an attempt to destroy the sacred Jewish values that he represented: light, goodness and kindness,” he said. “No country, no community, no society can afford the loss of these sustaining values.”