 In its 2009 report the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), stated, "“The FIDH fact-finding mission is convinced that Merab Ratishvili is the victim of a purely fabricated, politically motivated case”".In April 2011, Thomas Hammarberg, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, visited Merab Ratishvili in Rustavi prison No.6 as part of a visit to Georgia to report on the administration of justice and level of protection of human rights in the justice system of Georgia.In November 2012 Ratishvili was one of the first prisoners released by the new Georgian government, which acknowledged he was a political prisoner.