Boxing

JK Rowling and Elon Musk named in Imane Khelif cyberbullying lawsuit

Algerian Olympic champion boxer files criminal complaint in France against X over alleged ‘cyber-harassment’

Algeria's Imane Khelif was at the centre of a global gender eligibility row during her Olympic run in Paris. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Algeria's Imane Khelif was at the centre of a global gender eligibility row during her Olympic run in Paris. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Nadia Khomami
Wed Aug 14 2024 - 19:44

JK Rowling and Elon Musk have been named in a cyberbullying lawsuit filed in France by the Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif.

Khelif, who was the subject of a global gender eligibility row during her Olympic run, became Algeria’s first gold medallist in women’s boxing and its first boxer overall to win gold since 1996.

On Wednesday, her attorney Nabil Boudi, said they had filed a criminal complaint over alleged “acts of cyber-harassment” to the Paris public prosecutor’s office on Friday.

The legal action was filed against X, which under French law means it was filed against unknown persons, Variety reported. It claims the 25-year-old was the victim of “misogynistic, racist and sexist” cyberbullying.

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That “ensures that the prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people”, including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms, Boudi said.

The lawyer added that the complaint mentioned famous figures too. “JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,” he said, adding that Donald Trump could also be part of the investigation.

“Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

Khelif faced accusations over her gender after it was revealed that she was banned from competing in the 2023 boxing world championships because she failed a gender eligibility test administered by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has disputed this test, and before the Paris events stripped the IBA of recognition as boxing’s governing body and expelled it from the Olympics over issues including corruption, financial transparency and governance.

Khelif was born female and has never identified as transgender or intersex. Asserting her gender, the IOC said: “Scientifically, this is not a man fighting a woman.”

Algeria's Imane Khelif won gold in the women's 66kg event at the Paris Games. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty
Algeria's Imane Khelif won gold in the women's 66kg event at the Paris Games. Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty

The issue received widespread attention after the Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her match against Khelif in the 66kg boxing competition after just 46 seconds, claiming: “I have never felt a punch like this.”

Khelif was then inundated with abuse, mostly via social media, particularly X. The comments escalated after high-profile figures began posting about the issue.

In a message to her 14.2 million followers on X, Rowling posted a picture from Khelif’s fight with Carini and wrote: “The smirk of a male who knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”

In another tweet, the Harry Potter author said: “I don’t claim Khelif is trans. My objection, and that of many others, is to male violence against women becoming an Olympic sport.”

Musk, who owns X, shared a post from the US swimmer Riley Gaines that said “men don’t belong in women’s sports” and added: “Absolutely.”

Meanwhile, Trump posted a picture from the fight accompanied by the message: “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”

Boudi told Variety that although the complaint mentioned names, “what we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary”. He added: “If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.”

The lawyer said that while the lawsuit was filed in France, “it could target personalities overseas”.

Khelif’s coach, Pedro Diaz, said the bullying the boxer endured during the Olympics “incredibly affected her” and “everyone around her”.

“The first time she fought in the Olympics, there was this crazy storm outside of the ring,” said Diaz, who has helped train 21 Olympic champions prior to Khelif. “I had never seen anything so disgusting in my life.”

Following her victory on Saturday over China’s Yang Liu, Khelif said: “I am fully qualified to take part in this competition. I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I have lived as a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that.

“[The detractors] are enemies of success, that is what I call them. And that also gives my success a special taste because of these attacks.”