MOSCOW. March 31 (Interfax) - The Russian Supreme Court will hear a motion by the Prosecutor General's Office seeking the suspension of a ban on the Taliban's activities in Russia in mid-April.
"The Russian Supreme Court has received and accepted an administrative motion from the Russian prosecutor general on suspending the ban on the activities of the Taliban movement, which is now put on the single federal list of organizations, including foreign and international organizations, designated as terrorist ones in line with Russian law," the court said.
The Supreme Court hearing is set for 2:00 p.m. on April 17 and will be held behind closed doors, it said.
Last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation opening the path toward removing the Taliban from the list of organizations designated as terrorist ones and banned in Russia.
The law stipulates that "the ban on the activities of organizations put on the single federal list of organizations, including foreign and international organizations, designated as terrorist ones in line with Russian law may be suspended by a court ruling based on a proposal from the Russian prosecutor general or their deputy, provided there are facts indicating that, following its inclusion in the list, said organization has ceased promoting, justifying and supporting terrorism."
If the court suspends the ban on the Taliban's activities, it will be removed from the list of terrorist organizations after the ruling takes legal effect.