Shift in policy: Russia delists Taliban as ‘terrorist’ organization

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Russia’s Supreme Court officially removed the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, ending a designation in place since 2003.

Reported by Russian state media, the decision, effective immediately, followed a request by the Prosecutor General’s Office and comes amid growing security concerns after the March 2024 concert hall attack that killed 145 people, for which Moscow blames Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K), a Taliban rival.

Russian officials argue that cooperation with the Taliban, now governing Afghanistan, is necessary to combat such threats. The group has repeatedly claimed it is targeting ISIS-K operatives within its territory.

In 2023, Russia passed legislation enabling courts to lift terrorist designations under specific conditions.

Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan—close regional partners of Russia—have also removed the Taliban from their terrorist lists in recent years.