"Special forces arrived by helicopter, blindfolded us, and took us away," said an Uzbek man detained in the UAE.

Kun.uz has received additional information regarding the detentions of Uzbek citizens in the UAE.

As previously reported, on November 25 in Dubai, after the arrest of three Uzbeks suspected of murdering an Israeli rabbi, a group of Uzbek citizens who were living in the same location and working in different places was detained. It is reported that their number was not 9, as initially reported , but significantly larger.

Currently, it is known that seven of those detained have been released. Four of them, who held work visas, were detained from November 25 to December 7.

"They were treated well, and no physical force was used. After their release, they were summoned to the Uzbek consulate for a conversation. They are now continuing to work," said the brother of one of the detainees in an interview with a Kun.uz correspondent.

Three more detainees were deported to Uzbekistan after questioning. One of them shared details about his detention in Dubai and his 15-day imprisonment.

"After the reports of the rabbi's murder, drones flew around our rented villa for three days, watching us. We understood that something could happen. But we did not leave; we continued to work."

"Late at night, special services arrived in black uniforms by helicopter, armed with laser weapons, detained us, and took us away. They blindfolded us, and it was unclear where we were taken — whether it was a government facility or another place."

"There were about 50 people there — Uzbeks and Tajiks. Besides those I lived with, I didn’t know anyone else. For the first three days, we were only interrogated. There was no discussion of the murder. They asked where I lived, what I did, and what my interests were. They constantly checked our phones. No physical force or psychological pressure was applied. We didn’t know who conducted the interrogations. When I was asked what languages I spoke, I replied that I knew Russian and Turkish. One of them asked questions with an accent in broken Russian."

"After three days, we were placed in separate dark capsules, where we stayed, ate, and drank in isolation. There were no conversations with us or among ourselves. First, four people with work visas were released — later I learned that they remained working in Dubai. The three of us were deported: our eyes were blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken to the plane. Our phones and passports were returned. The rest — money, clothes, driver’s licenses — was left there."

"I don’t know if it was a deportation or not. If we are eventually accused of something we are not involved in or banned from returning, it will be very unfair," said the Uzbek citizen.

According to independent sources in the diplomatic missions, Kun.uz reports that cases of the detention of dozens of Uzbek citizens in the UAE, who were there illegally, are facts. The exact number of detainees has not been established. It is also possible that migrants from neighboring countries have been detained.

"The detainees who held work or student visas were released and returned to their work. Some who were there without visas or with tourist visas were deported. Among the deported were several people who rented homes or cars and then sublet them to others. Others who committed various violations of local laws were also deported," said a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wishing to remain anonymous, in an interview with Kun.uz.

"Out of the detained, five Uzbek citizens have been accused of committing crimes. Each of them is suspected of involvement in extremism-related offenses. Investigations are ongoing against them. These five individuals are not connected to the case of the three Uzbek citizens detained on suspicion of murdering the Israeli rabbi. That investigation is being conducted separately. The investigation is being jointly handled by the special services of both countries on UAE territory," the source added.

It is reported that currently, the relevant authorities of the UAE have provided Uzbek diplomats with the opportunity to contact the detained citizens. The issue remains on the agenda at the level of the foreign ministries and law enforcement agencies of both countries.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Akhror Burkhanov, informed Kun.uz that the diplomatic representations of Uzbekistan in the UAE have fully established contacts with the relevant state authorities.

"Most of the temporarily detained citizens have been released and are now freely conducting their activities in the UAE. At the same time, among our citizens, individuals engaged in illegal activities in the UAE have been identified, and it is expected that they will be deported soon,"

The Death of the Israeli Rabbi and the Case of Uzbeks in the UAE

On November 21, the body of Rabbi Tzvi Kogan, a citizen of Israel and Moldova, was found in the Emirate of Al Ain (UAE) showing signs of violent death. The UAE Ministry of Interior detained three Uzbek citizens on suspicion of involvement in the crime. According to Israeli media, "Mossad" believes the suspects are connected to a group linked to Iran.

On November 25, the police in Dubai detained a group of Uzbek citizens working in the city. The police did not comment on the incident, and no one was able to communicate with the detainees. In a comment to Kun.uz on December 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan reported that a note had been sent to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding this matter, and a response is awaited.

On November 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Bakhtiyor Saidov, met with the Israeli ambassador and stated that the government of Uzbekistan is closely cooperating with the authorities of the UAE and Israel during the investigation.

On November 30, among Uzbek citizens flying on the Tashkent–Abu Dhabi route, 31 individuals — exclusively men — were not allowed entry into the UAE. They did not pass passport control at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The Embassy of Uzbekistan in the UAE reported that they are negotiating with the airport administration and relevant emirate authorities, and the situation is under control. It was later reported that some citizens who remained at Abu Dhabi Airport were returned to Uzbekistan.

On December 2, First Deputy Foreign Minister Bakhramjon Aloyev met with the UAE Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Said Matar al-Kamzi. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the parties exchanged views on the difficulties faced by Uzbek citizens when entering the UAE and agreed to take measures to expedite the resolution of the situation.

On December 17, Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov met with UAE Ambassador Said Matar al-Kamzi. The official press release did not specify that the situation of Uzbek citizens in the UAE was discussed.