Kenneth Glad
A court ruling over a social media comment has drawn attention in Russia. The case comes after Moscow changed the Taliban’s legal status and deepened formal ties with Afghanistan’s rulers.
A court in Rostov-on-Don has fined 19-year-old Yegor A. 10,000 rubles over a comment he left on VKontakte, Russia’s largest homegrown social media network, beneath a post about the Taliban, Meduza reported, citing the court ruling.
The Oktyabrsky District Court said the remark incited hatred or hostility “between the people of the Russian Federation and Afghanistan.” According to Meduza, the file also included two comments about migrants.
Hostility between Russians and Afghans
The comment appeared under a VKontakte post about Taliban-linked goods entering Russia, Meduza reported. The ruling said Yegor A., who works at Aerotech, admitted guilt and expressed remorse.
Novaya Gazeta Europe said the case appeared to be the first known prosecution for criticism of the Taliban since Russia removed the movement’s terrorist designation.
Russia had listed the Taliban as a terrorist organization since 2003. After the group returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, Moscow expanded official contacts with the Taliban-led Afghan government.
Russia removed the Taliban designation
In December 2024, the State Duma approved a legal route for removing groups from the terrorist registry.
In April 2025, Russia’s Supreme Court removed the Taliban from that list, Novaya Gazeta Europe reported.
The case stands out because earlier prosecutions involving Taliban-related speech in Russia focused on alleged justification of terrorism, not criticism of the group.
The BBC reported that Russia formally recognized the Taliban government on July 3, 2025, becoming the first country to do so.
Recognition drew sharp criticism
Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi called the decision “a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement”, according to the BBC.
Former Afghan politician Fawzia Koofi criticized the move, saying “any move by any country to normalise relations with the Taliban will not bring peace. It will legitimise impunity”.
She also warned that “such steps risk endangering not just the people of Afghanistan, but global security”.
The Afghan Women’s Political Participation Network also said recognition legitimized “a regime that is authoritarian, anti-women, and actively dismantling basic civil rights”.
Sources: Meduza, Novaya Gazeta Europe, BBC
