Merab Ratishvili

Who is Merab Ratishvili?

Merab Ratishvili is a Georgian businessman, political scientist and author who has been imprisoned in Georgia since 15 July 2008 for his political activities and opposition to the Mikheil Saakashvili government.

Merab Ratishvili was born in Gori, and educated in Moscow. He is a former Chair of the Organisation for Economic Development and Cooperation, as referenced on the back cover of the English versions of his novels "Juga" and "Iliadi".

On 26 October 2007 Merab Ratishvili was arrested in Tbilisi, Georgia and on 15 July 2008 sentenced to 9 years imprisonment, charged with the possession and use of drugs.

Both Georgian and international human rights organisations reported that in their opinion Ratishvili had been arrested because of his support for the political opposition to Mikheil Saakashvili, then President of Georgia.

Merab Ratishvili always maintained his innocence, and his case was submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.

In a 2008 report by the then Public Defender of Human Rights in Georgia Sozar Subari Merab Ratishvili was identified as a political prisoner.