Russian Parliament Passes Law to Potentially Remove Taliban from Terrorist List, Awaiting Putin's Signature

Dec 17, 2024, 01:22 PM

Russia's State Duma has passed a law that allows for the temporary suspension of the ban on organizations designated as terrorist by Moscow, potentially paving the way for the removal of the Taliban from Russia's list of banned groups. The legislation was approved in both the second and third readings, and it now awaits review by the Federation Council and a signature from President Vladimir Putin. The law stipulates that a group can be removed from the terrorist list if it is determined to have ceased activities related to terrorism. This move could facilitate normalization of relations with the Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 following the U.S. withdrawal. However, the law does not imply formal recognition of the Taliban government, which no country has yet recognized.