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Russia's Supreme Court to decide next month on removing the Taliban from its list of banned "terrorist" organisations, state news agencies reported Monday.
The ruling, expected on April 17, follows a request from the prosecutor general's office and is likely to lift the designation.
Despite the Taliban’s classification as a terrorist group since 2003, Moscow has maintained diplomatic engagement, especially after the group seized power in Afghanistan following the US withdrawal in 2021.
President Vladimir Putin signed legislation in December enabling courts to revoke such designations if an organization is deemed to have ceased terrorist activities.
The expected decision would not equate to formal recognition of the Taliban government, which no country has yet granted. However, Moscow has deepened its ties with the group, inviting Taliban representatives for discussions even before their return to power.
Putin previously described the Taliban as “allies” in combating terrorism, citing their control over Afghanistan and interest in maintaining stability.
The Taliban has been engaged in a prolonged conflict with the
Islamic State Khorasan
(IS-K), which claimed responsibility for the deadly March 2024 attack on a Moscow concert hall that left over 140 dead—the worst such incident in Russia in nearly two decades.
