United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday, as reports indicate that Iranians detained in connection with recent nationwide protests continue to face severe consequences, including prison sentences, alleged torture, and death sentences.
The official readout of the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, stated that Guterres discussed the humanitarian and economic impacts of conflicts involving Iran and emphasized the importance of diplomacy and adherence to international law. Notably, the readout did not mention Iran's treatment of protesters, executions, or allegations of torture.
When asked by Fox News Digital whether these specific issues were raised directly with Pezeshkian and why they were absent from the official summary, the secretary-general's spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, stated he had "nothing to add to the readout." However, Dujarric confirmed that Guterres had addressed these human rights concerns with other senior Iranian officials in separate meetings.
"I can tell you that in other meetings with senior Iranian leaders, in New York and other places, the Secretary-General has raised those issues directly," Dujarric said. "We have, from this podium, on behalf of the Secretary-General, condemned in no uncertain terms the use of the death penalty in Iran, as we stand against the death penalty in every country."
Human rights organizations report that Iran's crackdown has persisted following the January demonstrations. According to a report citing rights groups, over 60,000 people have been detained across Iran since the protests began, with some independent sources estimating the number of those summoned, detained, or interrogated to be over 100,000.
In Ardabil province alone, approximately 800 individuals were reportedly arrested during the protests. As of early August, at least 54 remained in Ardabil Prison, and 29 of them had not yet received a judicial hearing.
New figures released in early September documented 78 executions across Iran in August, including two individuals executed in connection with the January protests. Iranian courts also issued 21 death sentences during August, with 10 defendants in an Isfahan case stemming from the protests receiving capital sentences. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) also documented six cases of forced confessions, four instances of prisoners being beaten, four transfers to solitary confinement, and nine cases where detainees were denied legal counsel.
Earlier reports indicated that 13 individuals arrested in connection with the January protests were sentenced to a combined total of over 24 years in prison. Four of these defendants also received a combined 196 lashes, and one was sentenced to two years of exile.
The use of capital punishment in crackdowns has intensified. Reports from late August indicated that two additional January protest detainees had been sentenced to death. The Abdorrahman Boroumand Center has documented 950 executions in Iran since the beginning of 2026, including at least 30 protesters.
Among those imprisoned is Seyed Ahmad Seyedabdollahi, a 32-year-old psychologist. He was arrested in January after posting a video appealing to then-President Donald Trump for support for Iranian protesters. Seyedabdollahi was subsequently sentenced to seven months in prison and barred from government and public services for five years. Relatives alleged that Iranian authorities pressured him to record a video insulting Trump, which he reportedly refused despite alleged coercion. His relatives also reported that Seyedabdollahi experienced solitary confinement and torture, and that authorities opened a second case against him on charges of "propaganda against the system of the Islamic Republic."