Khelif became the champion of the Olympic Games, but faced a wave of online bullying following her "gender test" failure — the boxer has now filed a lawsuit, accusing Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling among others of cyber harassment.
The complaint was filed with the internet hate crime center at the Paris prosecutor's office and names Twitter/X as the primary defendant. According to French law, this means the lawsuit is filed against unnamed individuals, while also highlighting the names of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and J.K. Rowling, who are known for their controversial statements.
Imane Khelif found herself at the center of an Olympic scandal after defeating Italian Angela Carini — the match lasted less than three minutes, as Carini refused to continue, doubting whether she was competing against a woman. Ultimately, the International Olympic Committee sided with Khelif, noting that all participants met the eligibility criteria.
Khelif was born a woman and has never identified as transgender or intersex. Subsequently, she won a gold medal, which only intensified the online debates (mainly on Twitter).
J.K. Rowling shared a photo of Khelif's fight against Carini on her account, which has 14.2 million followers, stating that the Algerian boxer is a "man who takes pleasure in the suffering of the woman he just struck in the head." Meanwhile, Musk shared a post from swimmer Riley Gaines, who claimed that "men do not belong in women's sports," adding his own remark "absolutely correct." Trump also posted a picture from the fight, accompanied by the message: "I will keep men as far away from women's sports as possible!”
Khelif's lawyer stated that while the names are mentioned in the complaint, the plaintiff asks "that the prosecutor investigates not only these individuals but also others they see fit." He also added that although the lawsuit was filed in France, "it can be directed towards individuals abroad," noting that "the internet hate crime center has the ability to file requests for mutual legal assistance with other countries."
Source: Variety
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