Russia removes terror group designation on Taliban, ends official ban

Russia has lifted a ban on Afghanistan’s Taliban after a court ruling that also removed the group from its terror list, after more than two decades.

The Russian Supreme Court on Thursday passed the judgment based on a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office that followed last year’s adoption of a law stipulating that the official designation as a terrorist organisation could be suspended by a court.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 just as US and NATO troops were on the heels of withdrawing from the country after two decades of war. Since then, the Taliban has passed many decrees that have been dubbed authoritarian and especially repressive for women.

Why did Moscow lift the ban?

Ibraheem Bahiss, a senior analyst with Crisis Group’s Asia Program, said the Taliban’s listing as a terrorist group was a legal impairment for trade and political ties with Kabul, and its lifting reflected Moscow’s desire to improve relations.

“However, beyond making it easier for individuals and businesses to engage with Afghanistan, I am not sure what other major benefit this will have,” he said.

Russia and Taliban relations

The Russian court’s move was a diplomatic victory for the Taliban, who were put on Moscow’s list of terrorist organisations in 2003, making any contact with them punishable under Russian law.

However, Taliban delegations have attended various forums hosted by Russia as Moscow has sought to position itself as a regional power broker.

The former Soviet Union has had a history with Afghanistan, as it was engaged in a war with the country for 10 years, which eventually ended with Moscow withdrawing its troops in 1989.

Russian officials have recently been emphasising the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilise Afghanistan.

In recent years, the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have removed the Taliban from their lists of terrorist groups.

With inputs from agencies