An alternative hypothesis makes the Ratishvili a branch of the Baratashvili-Orbeliani dynasty; yet another has it that both these genealogies are correct and there were, in fact, two Ratishvili families of different origin.
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.