The criminal case involving Ramiz Mehdiyev, former head of the Presidential Administration and former president of ANAS, continues to remain in the public spotlight.
According to materials presented by the investigative bodies, numerous factual pieces of evidence have been collected indicating that Ramiz Mehdiyev committed acts aimed at the forceful seizure of power and the forceful alteration of the state's constitutional order.
Information provided by the State Security Service (SSS) emphasizes that the former official legalized over 17 million manats obtained through criminal means.
Considering the gravity of the crimes Ramiz Mehdiyev is accused of, the issue of revoking the orders and honorary titles awarded to him at various times becomes relevant. In fact, there is a corresponding article in the Criminal Code regarding the revocation of ranks, honorary titles, and awards given to a person upon conviction for a grave or particularly grave crime.
Prior to this, there have also been precedents for the revocation of state titles from individuals who committed grave crimes. For example, Surət Hüseynov, who received the honorary title of National Hero, was deprived of this title in 1994, and Rasim Əkbərov in 2001.
Such cases are not rare in international practice either. For example, Nobel laureate James Watson was stripped of all honorary titles due to his racist remarks. British Prince Andrew, on the other hand, was deprived of all military titles and honors in connection with the "Epstein files". In general, over 80 individuals have been stripped of awards and honors in Britain in the last 10 years. Such cases are observed in scientific, military, sports, and public administration fields.
In this regard, the deprivation of Ramiz Mehdiyev of the honorary titles and awards he received during his period of activity is relevant. The first steps in this direction are already being taken. Thus, it was announced yesterday that the National Academy of Sciences will hold a meeting regarding the deprivation of Ramiz Mehdiyev's academic title and that the public will be informed about this.
The legal aspect of the process of depriving him of other titles and awards is a noteworthy nuance.
In a statement to Modern.az, human rights defender Chingiz Ganizade stated that after a final decision is made regarding Ramiz Mehdiyev, the revocation of his honorary titles and ranks is possible through judicial procedure:
"When a person awarded honorary titles and state ranks commits a crime, the revocation of these titles and ranks is resolved through judicial procedure. Currently, Ramiz Mehdiyev is an accused person. In the Republic of Azerbaijan, there is the concept of presumption of innocence. That is, no one can be called a criminal without a court verdict. However, Ramiz Mehdiyev is accused of grave crimes, and the accusing p is not a simple institution. From this perspective, I believe that the accusations will also find their confirmation in court. But regarding the deprivation of honorary titles and ranks, it is a matter that can be resolved by the court only after any verdict is issued. That is, if there is a verdict, those titles and honorary ranks will also be evaluated by the court".
The human rights defender noted that R. Mehdiyev will be deprived of all titles and awards he received during his tenure:
"The court, on its own initiative, taking into account the gravity of the crime and that it was committed during his tenure, will deprive Ramiz Mehdiyev of all titles and awards he received during the period he held office. The court may or may not make a decision on this. However, experience shows that courts deprive individuals who commit such grave crimes of such awards".
