UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres came under fire from watchdogs after he failed to publicly address the killing of protesters in January and executions carried out by the Iranian regime during a meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this week.
The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and Shanghai Plus summits in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday.
According to Iranian state media, Pezeshkian told Guterres that “the attack by the United States on Iran, the martyrdom of the country’s leadership and a number of officials and citizens, including schoolchildren, as well as the targeting of our country’s infrastructure, demonstrated that the most basic principles of humanity and international law have been disregarded.”
Pezeshkian also complained that the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon was “unacceptable.”
The UN’s official readout of the meeting said Guterres and Pezeshkian discussed the humanitarian and economic consequences of the conflict between Iran and the US.
Issue of Iranian crackdown on protesters not broached
However, the issue of Iran’s treatment of protesters and detainees did not appear in the readout.
A UN spokesperson confirmed to investigative journalist Efrat Lachter that the issue had not been raised during the meeting, while asserting that Guterres had raised it with Iranian officials on other occasions. The spokesperson also said the UN had condemned the use of the death penalty in Iran, “as we stand against the death penalty in every country.”
Human rights groups say that upward of 30,000 protesters were massacred by the Islamic Republic’s security forces in January, though an official figure has been hard to surmise due to the mass disappearances and nearly three-month internet lockdown imposed by the regime.
Following the meeting, Guterres wrote on X/Twitter, “The conflicts in the Middle East have had far-reaching effects. Agreements & ceasefires are constantly violated, and strikes continue.”
“I appeal for maximum restraint & for agreements & international law to be respected. More than ever, we need negotiations toward a just, lasting peace in line with international law, including the @UN Charter & relevant UN resolutions,” he added.
Thousands slaughtered, UN Watch director criticized Guterres
UN Watch director Hillel Neuer criticized Guterres over the meeting and wrote on X that, according to the official readout, “the regime’s slaughter of tens of thousands of civilian protesters was not discussed.”
The criticism comes amid continued scrutiny of the Iranian regime’s treatment of protesters and detainees, including allegations of executions and other serious human rights abuses.