Russia’s highest court has taken the Taliban off its list of terrorist organizations.
The Russian Supreme Court on Thursday removed the Taliban from its list of “terrorist organizations,” effectively legalizing their operations within Russia.
The Islamist movement, which has governed Afghanistan for the past four years, had been designated as a terrorist entity since 2003, making any contact with its members a criminal offense under Russian law.
The decision comes after Russian officials advocated for engaging with the Taliban to foster stability in Afghanistan. The group regained control in August 2021, following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces after a 20-year presence.
Since then, Moscow has re-established diplomatic connections with Taliban representatives. Last year, President Vladimir Putin stated the necessity of “build[ing] relations with the current government somehow,” given their control over Afghanistan.
In May 2024, the Russian Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Justice formally proposed lifting the ban. Earlier in June, the Prosecutor General’s Office presented the motion to the Supreme Court, culminating in Thursday’s decision.
Previously, Russian law lacked a procedure for removing groups from the terrorist list. However, amendments in 2023 to the federal law on countering terrorism now permit courts to suspend the designation if the group has ceased terrorist propaganda, justification, or support, and no longer violates the Criminal Code.
While the international community does not officially recognize the Taliban government, several Central Asian nations have recently renewed ties with Kabul. Kazakhstan removed the group from its terrorist list in June 2024, followed by Kyrgyzstan in September. Turkmenistan has resumed cooperation via the TAPI gas pipeline project, and Uzbekistan signed several joint agreements with Kabul in August 2024.
Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s envoy to Qatar and its primary international spokesperson, told RT earlier in June that Kabul welcomed Russia’s action, stating that the ban had “in the way of cooperation” between the two countries.
Experts suggest that Thursday’s ruling doesn’t formally recognize the Taliban government but will make diplomatic interactions easier.
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