Putin approves: Russia removes Taliban from terror list

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law containing regulations for the temporary suspension of activity bans on terrorist organizations. Although the law does not explicitly name any specific organization, it is being interpreted that the regulation, which came to the agenda with the removal of the Taliban from the 'terrorist organization' list, could potentially include Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria in the future.

A NEW MECHANISM FOR TERROR BANS

According to the new law, activity bans on organizations that have been placed on the terrorist organization list by court order can be temporarily suspended based on a declaration by the Prosecutor General of Russia or their deputy.

The rationale for the law points to the possibility that terrorist organizations may cease their violent acts or abandon their legitimizing activities over time. It was stated that current laws did not provide a mechanism to allow for the temporary lifting of activity bans on such organizations, and that the regulation was enacted to address this need.

TALIBAN AND HTS ON THE AGENDA

The law initially paved the way for the removal of the Taliban from the 'terrorist organization' list. However, some experts suggest that this regulation could also open the door for the removal of organizations like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the list. It is noted that the law aims to provide flexibility in Russia's counter-terrorism policy.

The law in question passed through the Russian Parliament in recent weeks and had sparked widespread public debate.