Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
Zvi Kogan, a representative of the Chabad movement in the UAE, was kidnapped and murdered in November. Prosecutors say the perpetrators tracked him, took him against his will, and killed him with premeditation and terrorist intent.
live
SENTENCES DELIVERED
The Abu Dhabi Federal Court of Appeals handed down its ruling on Monday, sentencing three of the men to death, while a fourth, who aided them, will serve life in prison before deportation.
Kogan was a prominent figure in the Jewish community, working to strengthen Jewish life in the UAE. His murder has left many questioning whether Jewish residents are truly safe, despite official assurances from the government.
While the UAE has promoted itself as a hub of religious tolerance, this attack highlights the dangerous undercurrents of antisemitism that persist. The UAE’s attorney general called the ruling a reflection of the country’s commitment to justice. But for Jewish communities, it underscores a darker truth – the targeted murder of a Jewish leader in a country that recently embraced Israel under the Abraham Accords.
Under UAE law, the death sentences will automatically be appealed. But justice in the courtroom does not erase the brutality of this crime – or the hatred that fueled it.
As the Jewish world watches this case unfold, one thing remains clear: antisemitism, in all its forms, must be confronted.