Algeria’s Imane Khelif files harassment complaint after gender row at Paris Olympics
In a statement, her lawyer described it as a "misogynist, racist and sexist campaign" against the boxer.
Algeria’s Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment after a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics, her lawyer said Sunday.
The French newspaper Le Monde, citing court documents, reported that the boxing champion “filed a complaint against X” with the Paris disciplinary court, the National Centre for combating online harassment.
According to Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi the complaint was filed on Friday.
“The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour,” he said in a statement as he announced the complaint for “aggravated online harassment … [had been filed] to Paris prosecutors”.
“All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world,” Khelif said.
Individuals in the complaint were described as “important political figures” with wide followings on X, the social media company owned by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
The posts targeting Khelif “exceeded 100 million views,” it added.
After winning gold on Friday in the women’s welterweight division, Khelif said winning was the perfect response to “attacks” and “bullying” and declared: “I am a woman like any other.”
