Russia’s Supreme Court revealed on Monday that it has been presented with a request from the Prosecutor General’s Office to remove the prohibition on Afghanistan’s Taliban, which has been designated as a terrorist group in Russia for more than twenty years.
In accordance with a court statement, a hearing on the issue, at the request of Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov, is due on April 17. This comes after an amendment to the law enacted last year that enabled Russian courts to put off the terrorist label of some groups.
The Taliban officially became part of Russia’s list of terrorist groups in 2003, and any kind of interaction with them became punishable for Russian citizens. Nonetheless, and in spite of this labeling, Moscow has received several forums where Taliban delegations participated, explaining such activities as necessary for regional stability.
Russia has played an assertive diplomatic role in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s restoration to power in 2021, acting as a mediator in talks between the group and regional states. The Soviet Union had earlier battled for ten years in Afghanistan, pulling out its troops in 1989. Moscow has since then hosted numerous international talks on Afghanistan’s political future.
The step to review the Taliban’s designation follows increasing global disagreements on how to deal with the group. Though still sanctioned by the United Nations, some members of the Central Asian group, such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, have already delisted the group from their terrorist organizations.
As the Taliban deepen relations with regional powers, Russia’s move on the ban may mark a change in its diplomatic strategy towards Afghanistan. The Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision will decide whether Moscow officially reverses its position on the group’s legal status.
