In a closed session on April 17, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation “temporarily” lifted Russia’s ban on the Taliban. The request came from the office of the prosecutor general.

This motion was based on a decree President Vladimir Putin had issued a year ago, making it possible for the Taliban, an ultraconservative political and religious movement in Afghanistan, to be removed from Russia’s list of terrorist organizations. The Taliban regained power in Kabul in 2021 after the withdrawal of international coalition forces from Afghanistan.