Algerian boxing sensation Imane Khelif, who has been at the center of a gender identity controversy at the Paris Olympic Games, has filed a legal complaint against the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) for harassment. The gold medalist’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, confirmed on Saturday that Khelif lodged the formal complaint in France.
According to court documents obtained by the French newspaper Le Monde, the complaint was filed with the Paris correctional court, targeting X and citing the national center for combating online harassment.
“The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity, and honor,” Boudi stated, announcing that the complaint for “aggravated online harassment” was formally submitted to Paris prosecutors on Friday. Khelif herself expressed her frustration, saying, “All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world.”
The complaint highlights that the harassment involved “important political figures” with substantial followings on X, the social media platform owned by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The targeted posts reportedly amassed over 100 million views, with Boudi claiming that the speculation was “fueled by malicious individuals.” He further noted, “The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist, and sexist campaign but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching.”
The controversy surrounding Khelif’s eligibility has drawn criticism from prominent figures, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, and several right-wing French politicians. Following her gold medal victory on Friday night, Khelif described the win as the perfect response to “attacks” and “bullying,” asserting, “I am a woman like any other.”
“I was born a woman. I have lived as a woman. I competed as a woman – there is no doubt about that.”
The debate over Khelif’s and Lin’s gender was ignited by the International Boxing Association (IBA), whose Kremlin-linked president, Umar Kremlev, claimed last week that “genetic testing” indicated the boxers were male. Both athletes were expelled from the IBA World Championships in 2023, although the International Olympic Committee later cleared them to compete in Paris. This went further to further mislabeling her as a ‘transgender’ by the media.
The controversy reached a new peak after an early-round victory for Khelif, with Rowling referring to the boxer as a “male” and accusing her of “enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
