Algerian Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a criminal complaint in France for alleged “acts of aggravated cyber harassment” stemming from a controversy over her gender eligibility, Variety reports.
The complaint, filed with the Paris Prosecutor’s Office, specifically names J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and Donald Trump as individuals of interest.
Khelif, who won the gold medal in the women’s 66-kilogram boxing competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was subjected to a barrage of online harassment and accusations about her gender identity. Despite being born female and not identifying as transgender or intersex, Khelif faced insults in social media, particularly on X.
The controversy intensified when high-profile figures, including Rowling, Musk, and Trump, weighed in on the issue. Rowling shared a photo of Khelif’s fight, claiming the boxer was a man enjoying the “distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head.” Musk retweeted a post from swimmer Riley Gaines that claimed “men don’t belong in women’s sports,” adding, “Absolutely.” Trump also shared a photo of Khelif’s fight with the caption “I will keep men out of women’s sports!”
Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, confirmed that Rowling, Musk, and Trump are named in the lawsuit, along with others. He emphasized that the complaint was filed against “X” under French law, meaning it targets unknown individuals, allowing investigators to pursue all potential perpetrators, including those who may have used pseudonyms to post hateful messages.
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that an investigation is underway into the charges of cyber harassment due to gender, public insult because of gender, public incitement to discrimination, and public insult because of origin.
