UAE authorities have arrested three Uzbekistan citizens in connection with the murder of Israeli Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the UAE Ministry of Interior announced Monday.
The ministry released photos of the suspects — two aged 28 and one aged 33 — blindfolded and handcuffed. Officials have not indicated whether formal charges have been filed as the investigation continues.
Rabbi Kogan, 28, was found dead Sunday after being reported missing in Dubai on Thursday. A Moldovan national and UAE resident, Kogan worked with the New York-based Orthodox Jewish Chabad movement in community outreach.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the killing an “antisemitic terrorist act.” Former Israeli Druze politician Ayoob Kara alleged Iranian involvement during a Reuters interview in Dubai, though Iran’s embassy in Abu Dhabi denied the accusation.
The Uzbekistan embassy in Abu Dhabi has not responded to requests for comment on the arrests.
The murder has rattled the UAE’s Jewish community, estimated at several thousand members. UAE Ambassador to Washington Yousef Al Otaiba characterized the killing as a crime against the Emirates itself.
Israeli agencies have joined the investigation, working alongside UAE authorities. The Moldovan foreign ministry confirmed its engagement with UAE officials regarding the case.
The Jewish presence in the UAE has expanded since the 2020 normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE through the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords.
