The Documentary Podcast Forty-eight hours in Isfahan
Mar 5, 2026
Sohail, an eyewitness who was trapped in Isfahan streets and saw heavy weapons used, and Parnia, an Iranian protester who took part in the January demonstrations, recount the chaos. They describe massive crowds, sudden violence, mounted machine guns and tracer fire. They speak about hiding, improvised medical care, mortuary scenes and calls for an independent investigation.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Mass Street Gathering Turned Lethal Within Minutes
- Parnia describes joining a massive, black-clad crowd chanting “Down with Khamenei” at 8pm on 8 January and feeling both fear and hope.
- She watched motorbikes with armed riders arrive, tear gas and then live gunfire, and saw people falling and blood on the street.
Traffic Jam Exposed Civilians To Heavy Weapons Fire
- Sohail drove with his family to Bozogmeher Street and became trapped in traffic amid protests and repeated uncontrollable shooting.
- He later saw mounted machine-gun equipment on truck beds and tracer rounds fired through the night sky.
Homes Became Makeshift Clinics During Communications Blackout
- Parnia hid in a neighbour’s darkened house with more than a dozen bleeding people after being chased; phones and internet then cut out at about 9:30pm.
- She saw hands mangled by pellets and volunteers pressing wounds while fearing security raids.