The arrest of the Russian citizen, Suleyman Barbakadze, the President of International society of Turkish Meskhetians, Vatan, confirms the fact that Georgia has systemic problems with respect for human rights, Spokesman for Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Lukashevich said.

Barbakadze was arrested on fraud charges in July 2010. He was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment by the Georgian court.

“A strikingly harsh sentence against an elderly person, who is seriously ill, clearly speaks of direct repressions against the defender of the rights of Meskhetian Turks,” a written statement by Lukashevich reads.

Russia believes that a trial against Barbakadze has political implications and is aimed against Meskhetian Turks in general, RIA Novosti quotes Barbakadze.