Sanctions against Taliban could be lifted as part of Afghan peace process, top Russian diplomat tells RT in wake of US withdrawal – By Russia Today Staff (Russia Today) / July 14 2021
With Taliban fighters gaining ground in Afghanistan and US troops preparing a total withdrawal from the country, representatives of the militant group have called on Russia to support the lifting of sanctions against its leaders.
On Monday, one of the Islamist faction’s top political envoys said it had used a meeting with Russian counterparts to request support in having the restrictions quashed at the United Nations. The Taliban is currently subject to asset freezes, arms embargoes and a travel ban. However, while officially designated as a prohibited terrorist organization domestically in Russia, a group of its representatives received special dispensation to attend talks in Moscow last week.
Suheil Shahin, a former journalist now serving as a Taliban spokesman, said that he and his colleagues told their Russian counterparts that it was time for the measures, imposed by the UN in 1988, to be dropped. “We asked them to be removed from the sanctions list,” he said. Moscow has permanent representation on the UN Security Council, which would give it a say in the decision.
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