The Supreme Court of Russia has raised the ban of the Taliban in power of Afghanistan, a group which was appointed a terrorist organization more than two decades ago.
This decision is considered a diplomatic victory for the group, which was registered on the list of terrorist organizations of Moscow in 2003, establishing any contact with them liable by law.
At the same time, the Taliban delegations attended various forums organized by Russia while Moscow sought to position itself as a regional electricity broker.
The court's decision, following a request from the Office of the Attorney General, comes after the adoption of the law by last year, stipulating that the official appointment as a terrorist organization could be suspended by a court.
Russian officials recently underlined the need to engage with the Taliban to “help stabilize” Afghanistan.
In recent years, the Central Asian countries in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have also removed the Taliban from their lists of terrorist groups.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 while American and NATO troops were in the past few weeks to withdraw from the country after two decades of war.
The Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first passage of power from 1996 to 2001, but began to apply strict restrictions on women and girls shortly after taking control.
Women are excluded from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gymnasiums, while girls are blocked from education beyond the sixth year.
Earlier this year, the UN renewed its call to the Taliban to relaunch prohibitions.
Group decrees limiting the participation of girls and women affected foreign aid in the country.
Such measures have isolated the Taliban on the world scene, although their government has established diplomatic links with countries like China and the United Arab Emirates.
The Taliban also brought their strict interpretation of Islamic law, including public executions.
Some Taliban members want a greater commitment to the international community and want to suppress more severe policies to attract more external support.
In recent months, there have been increased contacts between the Taliban and the United States under President Donald Trump, mainly on the exchanges and versions of the prisoners.
ADVERTISEMENTIbraheem Bahiss, principal analyst of the Asia program in the crisis group, said that the list of Taliban as a terrorist group was a legal obstacle to commercial and political ties with Kabul, and its lifting reflected Moscow's desire to improve relations.
“However, beyond facilitating individuals and companies to engage with Afghanistan, I do not know what other major advantage it will have,” he said.
South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman said that the Russian decision was not revolutionary because many countries had never officially appointed the Taliban as a terrorist organization.
At the same time, he described the decision to “win” for bilateral relations.
ADVERTISEMENTFor Russia, he said that this would serve as a measure to strengthen confidence, helping to open the way for more commitment and to allow Moscow to better protect his interests in Afghanistan, in particular concerns about anti-Russian terrorist groups such as the Islamic-Khorasan State.
“Meanwhile, for the Taliban, the court's decision is a result of legitimacy, they can exploit to indicate the international acceptance of their rule,” observed Kugelman.
