Supreme Court of Russia suspends ban on Taliban activities

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the country's ban on the activities of the Taliban movement, the court's press service announced.

The Taliban has been designated a terrorist organization by Russia, but the ruling effectively suspends that label, though it remains under international UN sanctions.

A representative of the Taliban was present at the Supreme Court session.

The hearing was held at the request of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, which had filed a formal request seeking the suspension of the ban on the movement’s activities in Russia.

The suspension satisfies “the administrative claim of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation," Judge Oleg Nefedov declared as he read out the court's decision.

The hearing was held behind closed doors.