Russian Supreme Court removes Taliban from list of banned terrorist organizations

Russia’s Supreme Court removed its designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organization, Russian state-controlled news agency TASS reported on April 17.

This decision came following a closed-door session initiated by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces, had been classified as a terrorist organization in Russia for over two decades.

Despite its control over the country, the Taliban-led administration has not been formally recognized by any state, due to its failure to meet international commitments on human rights, governance, and counter-terrorism.

Judge Oleg Nefedov announced that the court’s decision takes immediate effect and is aimed at advancing normalization of ties with Afghanistan’s current de facto rulers.

Though still listed as a terrorist group until now, the Kremlin has maintained relations with Taliban officials, previously hosting them in Moscow and at events such as the 2024 St. Petersburg Economic Forum.

Trade ties between the two countries deepened over the last year, with Afghanistan being the largest importer of Russian flour in 2024.

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The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy