 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.