Russia removes Taliban from its list of terrorist organizations

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law establishing a mechanism to remove the Islamist group Taliban — previously designated as a terrorist organization by the Russian government — from the list of prohibited organizations. According to the Interfax news agency, the document has been published on Pravo.gov.ru, the official state legal database in Russia.

The legislative act implies that the court is allowed to terminate the prohibition based on the resolution by the general prosecutor as long as the organization has ceased all activities that might be related to propaganda and support of terrorism.  

Interfax also reported that the law addresses a previously existing legal gap. The list of prohibited organizations will now be amended in accordance with relevant court decisions.

In 2001, the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. In 2003, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) added the Taliban to its Consolidated List, while the Russian Supreme Court designated the Taliban as a terrorist organization that same year.

In Kazakhstan, the group was banned on March 15, 2005, but was later removed from the list of terrorist organizations on Dec. 29, 2023, following a resolution by the Supreme Court.