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India
Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday lifted the official designation of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban as a terrorist organization, more than 20 years after it was first added to Russia’s banned groups list, The Associated Press reported.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops. The group was designated a terrorist organization by Russia in 2003, effectively making any official contact with them a criminal offense under Russian law.
According to the report, the top court ruled on a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office, following the passage of a law last year allowing courts to suspend such designations.
Although the Taliban remained on Russia’s terror list for two decades, Moscow has reportedly maintained informal ties with the group in recent years, with the group’s delegations attending several forums and multilateral discussions hosted in Russia as part of Moscow’s effort to reassert itself as a key regional power.
Russian officials have long stressed the importance of engaging with the Taliban to stabilize Afghanistan and curb regional security threats, the report said.
Several Central Asian neighbours, including Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, have also removed the Taliban from their terror lists in recent years.
According to the report, the Russian court’s decision is seen as a diplomatic win for the Taliban, in a move that will likely legitimize their regime on the global stage despite widespread international criticism over their repressive policies, particularly targeting women and girls.
Since returning to power, the group has reimposed many of the harsh restrictions seen during its 1996–2001 rule. Women are now banned from most jobs and public spaces, while girls are barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade.
These measures have prompted the United Nations to repeatedly call on the Taliban to reverse their decrees. The restrictions have also impacted the flow of foreign aid and seemingly deepened Afghanistan’s economic isolation.
While the group remains largely unrecognized as a legitimate government by the international community, it has reportedly stablished diplomatic relations with several countries, including China and the United Arab Emirates.
In recent months, there has also been reported engagement between the Taliban and the United States under President Donald Trump, particularly focused on prisoner exchanges.
