French prosecutors investigate gender-based cyber harassment of Algerian Olympic champ Imane Khelif

French prosecutors opened an investigation into an online harassment complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif after a torrent of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Summer Games, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Wednesday.

The athlete’s lawyer Nabil Boudi filed a legal complaint with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor´s office that combats online hate speech on Friday.

Boudi said the boxer was targeted by a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” as she won gold in the women´s welterweight division, becoming a hero in her native Algeria and bringing global attention to women´s boxing.

The prosecutor´s office said it had received the complaint and its Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime had opened an investigation on charges of “cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insults on the basis of origin.”

Khelif was unwillingly thrust into a worldwide clash over gender identity and regulation in sports after her first fight in Paris, when Italian opponent Angela Carini pulled out just seconds into the match, citing pain from opening punches.

False claims that Khelif was transgender or a man erupted online, and the International Olympic Committee defended her and denounced those peddling misinformation. Khelif said that the spread of misconceptions about her “harms human dignity.”

Algeria’s Imane Khelif prepares to fight China’s Yang Liu in their women’s 66 kg final boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France

Among those who posted misinformation about the athlete were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J. K. Rowling.

Khelif’s legal complaint was filed against social media platforms, including “X,” instead of a specific perpetrator, a common formulation under French law that leaves it up to investigators to determine which person or organization may have been at fault.

The Paris prosecutor´s office didn´t name specific suspects.

The development came two days after Khelif returned to Algeria, where she´s expected to meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and be welcomed by family in her hometown of Ain Mesbah.

In Algeria, Khelif’s former coach Mustapha Bensaou said the boxer’s complaint in France was initiated by the Algerian authorities and should “serve as a lesson in defending the rights and honor (of athletes) in Algeria and around the world.”

“All those involved will be prosecuted for violating Imane´s dignity and honor,” Bensaou said in an interview with The Associated Press. He added: “The attacks on Imane were designed to break her and undermine her morale. Thank God, she triumphed.”

Elon Musk and JK Rowling could be handed five-year prison sentences and fined up to £214,000 if Olympic boxer Imane Khelif wins criminal cyberbullying case

Elon Musk and JK Rowling could face five-year prison terms and fines of up to £214,000 if Paris 2024 Olympics boxer Imane Khelif wins her case against them – after she included the pair in a criminal ‘cyber-bullying’ lawsuit.

Tech billionaire Musk and Harry Potter author Rowling were among the high-profile figures leading the outcry about Khelif taking part in this summer’s Games at which the Algerian fighter won gold.

Now Khelif has filed a lawsuit to French authorities alleging ‘acts of aggravated cyber harassment’ – and the potential penalties at stake have now been revealed, as well as the prospect of yet more famous names being targeted.

The 25-year-old Olympian, who is not a transgender woman, allegedly has male ‘XY chromosomes’ which led to her disqualification from 2023 world championships.

At the time she failed unspecified gender eligibility tests administered by the now-banned International Boxing Association, with the International Olympic Committee instead taking charge of the boxing events at Paris 2024.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif is seen celebrating after beating Janjaem Suwannapheng in their Paris 2024 semi-final on August 14 on her way to claiming Olympic gold in the 66kg women’s final

Harry Potter writer JK Rowling, pictured at at the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at London’s Albert Hall in February 2017, has criticised Khelif taking part in this summer’s Games

Tech billionaire Elon Musk – who owns the social media site X, formerly Twitter – also used the platform to condemn Khelif’s participation in the women’s boxing at Paris 2024

Her participation against women boxers at the Games led to protests from many, including Musk and Rowling as well as some of her defeated competitors – but also support from others who backed her right to fight.

Nabil Boudi, the gold medalist’s Paris-based attorney, has now told Variety Musk and Rowling were both named in the criminal complaint posted to the anti-online hatred center of the public prosecutor’s office last week.

Possible repercussions for cyber-bullying offences in France are prison sentences, ranging from two to five years, and fines between £26,000 and £39,000.

If prosecuted as online hate speech, perpetrators could even be fined £64,000 to £214,000.

Mr Boudi said Khelif filed the lawsuit as part of her ‘fight for justice, dignity and honour’.

It was issued against Musk’s social media network X, formerly named Twitter, which means it was filed against ‘unknown persons’ according to French Law.

The lawyer explained that it ensures that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,’ including those who shared hateful messages under pseudonyms.

‘J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,’ he wrote on X, noting that ex-US President Donald Trump would also be part of the investigation.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif named Elon Musk and JK Rowling in a cyber harassment lawsuit

The Olympic gold medalist’s attorney filed a suit against X, and named the high-profile stars

He said: ‘What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial.’

He added that while this particular lawsuit was filed in France, ‘it could target personalities overseas’.

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

French prosecutors have now opened an investigation into Khelif’s online harassment complaint, the Paris prosecutor’s office said today – without naming specific subjects.

Its Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime is probing charges of ‘cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insults on the basis of origin’.

The news comes just days after Khelif took home the gold medal in the women’s 66kg boxing competition.

She emerged victorious after enduring a widespread campaign, in which she faced a barrage of questions over her gender.

In one post on X, Rowling shared a photo of Khelif’s fight with Italy’s Angela Carini, accusing the Algerian of being a man who was ‘enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head’.

‘J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit’, Khelife’s lawyer wrote on X – the Harry Potter author (pictured) has been vocal in her criticism of the boxer’s Paris 2024 participation

Nabil Boudi explained that he hopes the ‘prosecution [will] investigate against all people’ – including tech billionaire Musk