Kyrgyzstan removes Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan issued an updated terrorist list with no mentioning of the Taliban. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan praised the decision by Kyrgyzstani authorities, stating that it signifies an “expansion of political recognition of Afghanistan.”

The State Commission for Religious Affairs was unable to specify when or why the organization in question was delisted, Kaktus.media, a Kyrgyzstani online media outlet reported.

«You better ask the judiciary as they can provide you with more detailed information or ask the Prosecutor General’s Office which issued the list,» said Azamat Yusupov, head of the commission for religious affairs.

He also noted that the agency was not instructed to issue a judgment on the Taliban, as it is not a religious association but a terrorist organization.

On the other hand, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already commented on the situation.

«The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan commends and welcomes the decision by the Republic of Kyrgyzstan to remove the name of the Taliban Movement, previously associated with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, from its list of proscribed groups. Aligning with actions of other countries, the step taken by Kyrgyzstan signifies a growing political recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan on both regional and international levels,» the statement said.

The Pervomayskiy District Court of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, had recognized the Taliban as a terrorist organization back in 2006.

At the end of December 2023, the Kazakhstani Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its intention to remove the Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations. As the official spokesperson for Kazakhstan’s MFA Aibek Smadiyarov outlined, Kazakhstan would be pursuing political contacts with Afghanistan strictly following the United Nations (UN) resolutions. 

He also added that since 2021, when the Taliban gained total control of Afghanistan, the organization has been trying to «establish diplomatic relationships with different countries, including Kazakhstan, and redeem their international public image.» According to Smadiyarov, the Taliban «is actively setting up trading relations with its neighbors.»