Greek rug entrepreneur and TV presenter Despoina Moirarakis recounted a series of harrowing experiences during her professional trips to Iran — a country she has visited for years. Speaking on the live news program Live News on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Moirarakis described the challenges of navigating a society where women hold a deeply subordinate status.
A Sexual Assault Attempt Behind the Bookshelf
She revealed that at one point, she was subjected to sexual harassment — and narrowly avoided assault. ‘Someone came up to me and tried to attack me… sexually. I’m not hiding it. It happened behind the bookshelf. I screamed, and everyone gathered — the hotel staff rushed over,’ she said.
She added context: ‘I had gone there just as people were preparing for prayer. Since no one was around, I did nothing inappropriate — I was simply browsing books to see which ones to take.’
Arrested for a Strand of Hair
Moirarakis also described being detained shortly after arriving in Iran — not for any crime, but because a single strand of hair had escaped her headscarf, violating strict dress code enforcement. ‘They approached me, speaking only Farsi — deliberately, not in English — to intimidate me. They grabbed my arm and took me straight to a makeshift police station inside the exhibition venue, then transferred me in a private car to a detention facility,’ she recalled.
After intervention by her local business partners and Iranian officials, she was released following a formal reprimand — avoiding harsher consequences.
Handshakes Forbidden, Women Invisible
Another incident occurred at the airport: Moirarakis greeted her Iranian male colleague Ali and his wife Sakina with handshakes — first Sakina, then Ali. Instantly, a female officer in full black chador appeared and ordered her to stop. ‘Ali told me in English, “Despoina, be careful — greeting is forbidden here. We’re not in Europe,”’ she recounted.
She also reflected on the suffocating reality for Iranian women: ‘Suddenly, a door opened, and a woman stepped out to serve us tea. I’ll never forget how she was spoken to — as if she didn’t exist. Was her husband there? Her father? She vanished immediately. Just for opening the door to bring a tray — that was considered unacceptable.’