The United Arab Emirates has published photographs of three Uzbek nationals arrested in connection with the murder of Rabbi Zvi Hakohen Kogan, a religious emissary whose body was discovered on November 24 in the eastern city of Al Ain.

The suspects, identified as Olimpi Toirovich, 28, Makhmudjon Abdurakhim, 28, and Azizbek Kamlovich, 33, were shown in prison uniforms, handcuffed and blindfolded, according to images released by the UAE Interior Ministry, after the reportedly being extradited from Turkey.

Local media reported that the trio could face capital punishment under UAE law.

Hakohen Kogan, 28, a dual Israeli-Moldovan citizen who managed a kosher grocery store in Dubai, had been missing since November 21. His body was found approximately 150 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, near the Omani border.

Israeli authorities have classified the killing as an antisemitic terror attack. Chabad, the Orthodox Jewish organisation where Kogan worked, said he had been "murdered by terrorists."

The UAE Interior Ministry stressed its commitment to a swift investigation, stating the arrests had been made "in record time." The full findings will be announced upon the investigation's completion.

Hakohen Kogan had been instrumental in expanding Jewish life in the UAE since 2020, following the Abraham Accords that normalised relations between Israel and the UAE.

He worked to establish kosher food availability in a low-profile supermarket and the country's first Jewish education centre.

The victim's wife, Rivky Kogan, who joined him in the UAE after their 2022 wedding, is the niece of Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, who was killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.

US National Security spokesperson Sean Savett condemned the murder as a "horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance and coexistence."

Iran has denied any involvement in the killing after Israeli media reports suggested the suspects may have been recruited by Tehran.

Intelligence sources indicated that Kogan may have been under Iranian surveillance prior to his disappearance.

Complicating the investigation was the fact that Kogan had entered the UAE using his Moldovan passport, initially leading authorities to coordinate with the Moldovan embassy rather than Israeli officials.

Iran's embassy in Abu Dhabi "categorically" denied any involvement in the killing, saying: "We categorically reject allegations regarding Iran's involvement in the killing of this individual."

Moldovan President Maia Sandu condemns the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates.

“We mourn the tragic loss of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, a Moldovan-Israeli citizen killed in the UAE, and strongly condemn this hateful act,” she wrote on X. “Hate has no place in our world. Our thoughts are with his family, the Jewish community, and all who grieve. We are in contact with Israel and the UAE.”

The Board of Jewish Deputies has condemned the “despicable” murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, the Chabad emissary to Abu Dhabi, saying: “Our hearts are broken at the news…"

“Rabbi Kogan was a religious leader who, like many Chabad emissaries, went to a distant land to serve his community with warmth and selflessness. His abduction and murder is a truly despicable act.”

Kogan’s death marks a significant breach of what has been a period of relative stability for the Jewish community in the UAE, bringing into question the stability of the Abraham Accords agreement as the current Middle East conflict continues.

Kogan's body was repatriated to Israel on November 25 evening, with his funeral scheduled at Jerusalem's Mount of Olives following a procession from Kfar Chabad in central Israel.