Taliban applauds Russia's Supreme Court for lifting ban

The Taliban has described the Russian Supreme Court's decision to lift the ban on its activities in Russia as a "rational" step.

Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, commented on the ruling, which removes the movement from Russia's list of terrorist organisations, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

"We welcome this rational decision by the Russian Supreme Court," said the Taliban representative.

Shaheen added that the removal of the Taliban's terrorist status was "essential for expanding cooperation" and strengthening ties between Russia and Afghanistan. Earlier, Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Special Representative for Afghanistan, stated that the decision to exclude the group from the terrorist list removes a significant barrier to the normalisation of relations between Moscow and Kabul.

Earlier, on April 17, the Russian Supreme Court removed the Afghan Taliban's designation as a terrorist organisation and lifted the ban on its activities in Russia.

The decision follows a legal provision introduced in December 2024, which allows temporary suspensions of such bans. The ruling was issued behind closed doors by Judge Oleg Nefyodov.

The Taliban, who have governed Afghanistan since 2021, maintain close ties with Russia, having been hosted by the Kremlin multiple times, including during their military advances across Afghanistan in 2021.

By Aghakazim Guliyev