DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Turkish authorities apprehended three Uzbek nationals suspected in the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan as they were departing from an airport in Istanbul, according to reports from local media outlets on Wednesday.
The arrest underscores the international dimensions of the case, as it appears to involve individuals linked to the attack on the Israeli-Moldovan rabbi.
While the motive behind the killing remains unclear, there have been suggestions that Iran has previously employed criminal groups to carry out operations against dissenters and adversaries. Iran has issued threats of retaliation against Israel, especially given the ongoing tensions that have led to military exchanges between the two nations, although it has denied any involvement in Kogan’s assassination.
Reports from Turkey’s Hürriyet and Sabah newspapers indicate that the Istanbul police, in coordination with Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, tracked the suspects based on their flight information. They intercepted the individuals shortly after they exited the airport by stopping their taxi. Following their arrest, the suspects were promptly extradited to the United Arab Emirates, which is comprised of several emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
On Tuesday evening, the Foreign Ministry of the UAE expressed gratitude towards Turkey for their collaboration in apprehending the suspects, although specific details were not disclosed.
Diplomatic relationships between Turkey and the UAE have fluctuated over the past decade, particularly related to differing perspectives on political Islam following the 2011 Arab Spring. However, ties have progressively improved recently. Additionally, the first lady of Turkey, Emine Erdogan, was present at the Global Women’s Forum Dubai on Tuesday.
Uzbekistan has also made its first public remarks regarding the incident, confirming a discussion between its foreign minister and the Israeli ambassador. The official statement from Uzbekistan emphasized the country’s commitment to collaborate with Israel and the UAE in the ongoing investigation into Kogan’s death.
“The people of Uzbekistan have consistently shown respect for various beliefs and cultures,” the statement read. “Uzbekistan does not condone and will not tolerate any form of extremist nationalism. This meeting highlighted that terrorism transcends national boundaries and divisions.”
Rabbi Kogan, 28, who managed a kosher grocery store in Dubai, had disappeared on November 21. His presence in Dubai became increasingly apparent after the establishment of diplomatic ties between the UAE and Israel through the 2020 Abraham Accords, which have endured despite heightened regional tensions following the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas in southern Israel.
Despite the ongoing conflict, Israel’s severe military actions in Gaza and its incursion into Lebanon have resulted in rising discontent among Emiratis, Arabs living in the UAE, and various expatriates.
Iran’s diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi has denied any complicity in the rabbi’s murder. Nevertheless, Western intelligence suggests that Iran conducts surveillance activities in the UAE and monitors the sizeable Iranian community within the country, with historical instances of Iranian intelligence executing kidnappings on Emirati soil.
While Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have not explicitly accused Iran, they have alluded to an “axis of evil” as being complicit in Kogan’s assassination, a term previously employed by Israel to refer to Iran and its affiliates.