Russia passes law to de-list banned terrorist groups

Taliban and Syria’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham likely to be de-listed

Moscow (Russia) – The Russian parliament has passed a law that would allow courts to suspend bans on groups designated as terrorist organisations by Moscow. The new law, passed by parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, paved the way for Moscow to normalise ties with the Afghan Taliban and potentially with the new leadership of Syria.

It outlines a legal mechanism for groups to be removed from the country’s official banned list of outlawed “terrorist” organisations by order of a court if they cease terrorist-related activity. Under the law, Russia’s Prosecutor General could file a request with a court outlining that a banned group has “ceased” its activities “in support of terrorism.” A judge could then rule to remove the designation.

The Taliban was in the first batch of groups to be added to the banned list, in February 2003, and Syria’s HTS was added in 2020. The Kremlin has been courting relations with the Taliban after the Islamist group seized power in August 2021 as US-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal after 20 years of war. President Vladimir Putin said in July that the Taliban was now an ally in fighting terrorism.

There are also calls in Moscow for the removal of Syrian group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), that spearheaded the toppling of President Bashar al-Assad this month from Moscow’s list of banned terror groups.