Ilham Rahimov, a graduate in law at St Petersburg University, awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University
On 25 November, St Petersburg University has held a solemn ceremony of presenting the diploma and gown of Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University to Ilham Mammadhasan oglu Rahimov, Doctor of Law, a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honoured Lawyer of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Association of Lawyers of the Black Sea-Caspian Region. On 26 November, St Petersburg University held a round table to mark the 45th anniversary of the scholar’s scientific activity. The University also opened two exhibitions of his books.
Ilham Mammadhasan oglu Rahimov is a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Leningrad State University named after A A Zhdanov. His mentor was Nikolai Beliaev (1923-2004), Honoured Worker of Science of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Law and Professor of St Petersburg University. Ilham Rahimov successfully defended his candidate’s dissertation and then doctoral dissertation at the University. He was actively involved in scientific activities and worked at the Ministry of Justice of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. He also headed the Azerbaijan Institute of Forensic Science and Criminalistics.
Today, he is Honoured Lawyer of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He authored more than 100 scholarly papers in the field of penology, criminology and criminal-executive law. He is also the author of more than 20 monographs on the fundamental problems of crime and punishment.
His research ideas underpin a concept of punishment for crime, which influenced the modernisation of criminal and criminal‑executive law. Throughout his life, Ilham Rahimov has consistently been supporting the idea of humanisation of criminal punishment. The main areas of his research activity are moral and religious foundations of crime and punishment, automated programmes for determining the measure of punishment, modern crime and its prevention.
"The title of Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University has a special meaning for me, because my entire life and research activity are connected with this University. By the will of fate, I became a student of Leningrad State University named after A A Zhdanov. Having received an excellent education from excellent educators, whom my friends and I often remember, and thanks to the knowledge that I acquired at the University, I became a doctoral student and defended my candidate’s dissertation, even before completing my postgraduate studies, and then defended my doctoral dissertation. I have never lost touch with our famous University. I bow to the members of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University and to the University, where I became a scholar in the field of law," said Ilham Mammadhasan oglu Rahimov during the meeting of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University.
As part of the ceremony, Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Member of the Presidium of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, Chairman of the Interregional Branch of the All-Russian Non-Governmental Organisation "Association of Lawyers of Russia," presented the scholar with insignia on the occasion of being awarded the title of Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University.
"Over the 300 years of the history of St Petersburg University, the title of Honorary Doctor has been awarded to 142 citizens of Russia and foreign countries. Among them are many of our contemporaries, outstanding lawyers and statesmen: Dmitry Medvedev, Alexander Bastrykin, Valery Zorkin, and Taliya Habrieva. In the 17th and 18th centuries, among the Honorary Doctors of our University were outstanding Russian and foreign lawyers: Friedrich Carl von Savigny, Robert von Mohl, and Rudolf von Jhering to name just a few. There were also historical figures with a rich legacy. Among them were the following: Alexander Golitsyn, Mikhail Speransky, Anatoly Koni, and Gerhard Schröder to name just a few. These people are the glory of the world legal science. Their service to the law and justice should serve as a guideline for many generations of lawyers. ‘St Petersburg University has always been famous for its law school. Today, our graduates are a large community of professionals who make crucial decisions for our country. The University is proud of its law graduates and, primarily, of its main graduate — President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin," said Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University.
The title of Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University is awarded to the most outstanding figures in science, education and culture, government and public figures who have contributed to the development of international scientific, cultural, economic and political cooperation. An Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University may participate in meetings of the University’s Academic Council with an advisory vote, deliver lectures, conduct scientific research and participate in conferences, symposia and scientific events organised by St Petersburg University.
The ceremonial meeting of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University was attended by Professor Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University, and Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University. Ilham Rahimov supports scientific and human ties between Russia and Azerbaijan, he is actively engaged in public life and is the author of the most important works in the field of criminal law, said Alexander Bastrykin.
St Petersburg University also held the round table "The concept of the effectiveness of punishment in the works of Professor Ilham Rahimov (historical, religious, legal and philosophical aspects): on the 45th anniversary of his scientific activity."
In honour of the 45th anniversary of Ilham Rahimov’s scientific work, Taliya Habrieva, Director of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, Deputy President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University, read a congratulatory address from President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov. She also presented an honorary diploma recognising his many years of conscientious work, significant contributions to fundamental and applied scientific research in penology and criminology, and his role in fostering Russian-Azerbaijani scientific relations.
The event brought together: Dmitry Bokov, Acting Rector of the University of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Russian Federation, Senior Counsellor of Justice; Sergei Belov, Dean of the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University; and other distinguished guests. The University is planning to create a gallery of busts of active lawyers-academicians and foreign members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, among which a bust of Ilham Rahimov will be installed, said Sergei Belov.