Days after Algerian boxer Imane Khelif secured a historic gold medal in the women’s welterweight division at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she has filed a lawsuit in France over online harassment. High-profile individuals, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling, have been named in the case. Khelif’s victory, which marked Algeria’s first women’s boxing gold at the Games, was marred by controversy surrounding her gender.
Lawsuit Details and Allegations
The 25-year-old boxer had been disqualified from the women’s World Championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) due to an alleged failure in a gender eligibility test. However, the IBA, which was expelled by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over financial and corruption issues, has not provided evidence for its claims. Khelif was cleared to compete by the IOC.
On August 9, Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, filed a complaint with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office, accusing Khelif of being targeted by “aggravated cyber-harassment.” The complaint describes the harassment as a “misogynist, racist, and sexist campaign.” The lawsuit names Rowling and Musk, with Donald Trump also set to be investigated for his involvement via social media.
Public Response and Khelif’s Statement
JK Rowling referred to Khelif as a “male” on Musk’s platform X (formerly Twitter), while Musk endorsed a post opposing men competing in women’s sports. Trump supported this stance on his Truth Social platform. The controversy escalated after boxer Angela Carini withdrew from a match with Khelif, claiming it was unfair and describing Khelif’s punches as the hardest she had ever experienced.
Khelif responded by expressing that her gold medal win was a message of “dignity and honor” to the IBA, rejecting the doubts about her gender as baseless. She emphasized the importance of upholding the Olympic Charter’s values and hopes future Olympics will be free from such attacks.