Three men accused of murdering Israeli rabbi were arrested in Turkey, UAE confirms

Turkish security services apprehended three suspects in the killing of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in Istanbul, and extradited them to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to reports in Turkish media. 

The three men, all Uzbek nationals, were arrested by Turkish police in cooperation with the Turkish National Intelligence Agency as they left the airport in Istanbul. The security services tracked the suspects on their flight to Istanbul and later detained them in a taxi. 

Following their arrest, and based on an official extradition request by the UAE government, the persons of interest were transferred to the Gulf state to face charges for killing Kogan, whose body was discovered on Sunday. 

The UAE Foreign Ministry released a statement to its website where it “extended its sincere appreciation to the authorities the Republic of Türkiye for their cooperation in arresting the perpetrators.” 

In an earlier statement, UAE authorities had declared the suspects' arrest without disclosing they were apprehended in Turkey.

#UAE offers condolences to Moldovan citizen's family, expresses appreciation to #Türkiye for cooperation in arresting perpetratorshttps://t.co/4zUPfH70AJ pic.twitter.com/BxmSKtBGfH

— MoFA وزارة الخارجية (@mofauae) November 26, 2024

Relations between the UAE and Turkey have been somewhat strained over the past decade, especially following the UAE’s joining of the Abraham Accords and its unwillingness to overtly criticize Israel over its handling of the Gaza War. 

UAE officials have not yet declared a motive in the killing of Rabbi Kogan, a representative of the Jewish ultra-Orthodox Chabad movement in the country who also ran a kosher grocery store in Dubai. 

Israeli officials said Kogan was targeted because he was Jewish, calling the attack an antisemitic crime. 

The UAE Ministry of Interior released pictures showing the captured suspects blindfolded and restrained. Two of the men are reported to be 28 years old, while the third man is 33 years old. 

The government of Uzbekistan said it is cooperating with both Israel and UAE in the investigation. Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with the Israeli Ambassador to Uzbekistan Gideon Lustig, offering condolence for Kogan’s death. 

Met with the Ambassador of #Israel to #Uzbekistan H.E. @GideonLustig today @UzbekMFA. Expressed our sincerest condolences with regard to passing of Zvi Kogan. People of #Uzbekistan have always been friendly to all representatives of religions and backgrounds. We never tolerated… pic.twitter.com/ltH5vWiTDv

— Bakhtiyor Saidov 🇺🇿 (@FM_Saidov) November 26, 2024

The Israeli government has implicated Iran in the killing of Kogan, speaking of an “axis of evil” behind the rabbi’s death. Israeli intelligence has also thwarted numerous Iranian plots to harm Israelis or Jews abroad in recent years. 

The Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi denied any Iranian involvement in the killing of Kogan. 

“We categorically reject the allegations made regarding Iran’s involvement in the murder of this individual,” the Iranian embassy said in a statement. 

Kogan was buried in Kfar Chabad in central Israel on Monday evening in a ceremony attended by hundreds of people.