Supreme Court bans Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra in Russia as terrorist organizations

Russia’s Supreme Court has issued a ruling on Monday recognizing Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra as terrorist organizations and banned their activity in the country, thus satisfying a suit of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office.
After the ruling comes into force, the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra will be included in the list of organizations, recognized by court as terrorist, after which any participation in their activity will be a criminal offense according to Russian legislation.
“Upon hearing representatives of the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and the Federal Security Service (FSB), examining the case materials, the Supreme Court ruled to satisfy the Prosecutor General’s claim, to recognize the organizations Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra as terrorist and ban their activities in the country,” the judge said.
The court read out only the resolution part of the decision. The meeting was held behind closed doors, as the case files contain documents classified as “secret.”
Under the law, the activity of an organization is recognized as terrorist if it includes: the organization, preparation and implementation of terrorist acts, incitement to terror acts, violence against individuals or organizations, destruction of material objects for terrorist purposes, organization of illegal armed groups, criminal groups, organized groups for staging terrorist acts, as well as participation in such actions, recruiting, arming, training and use of terrorists, as well as financing of a priori terrorist organizations or terrorist groups or provision of other assistance to them.
Islamic State is an Islamist terrorist organization operating mainly in Syria and Iraq. It was established in Iraq in 2006 by way of merger of 11 radical Islamist groups led by the local Al Qaeda cell. Jabhat al-Nusra is also a terrorist group associated with Al Qaeda.