Imane Khelif, the Olympic boxing champion, has filed a legal complaint in France due to online harassment stemming from false gender claims during the Paris Olympics, her lawyer announced on Sunday.
As Algeria’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony, Khelif won gold in the welterweight division last Friday, emerging as a national hero and bringing international attention to women’s boxing.
Her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, filed the complaint on Friday with the Paris prosecutor’s unit specializing in online hate speech, citing “aggravated cyber-harassment” against Khelif. He described the attacks as a “misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign.”
The decision to launch an investigation is now in the hands of prosecutors. In French legal procedures, complaints typically do not name suspects, leaving investigators to identify those responsible.
Khelif became entangled in a gender identity controversy after her Italian opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew moments into their match, citing injury. This led to false online allegations that Khelif was transgender or male, which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has refuted while condemning the spread of misinformation. Khelif stated that these misconceptions “undermine human dignity.”
Previously, Kirsty Burrows, head of the IOC’s safeguarding and mental health unit, also filed a complaint with French authorities due to receiving death threats and online harassment after defending Khelif at a Paris press conference. The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed receiving Burrows’ complaint on August 4, and investigations are ongoing by the National Hate Crime Unit.
These alleged offenses, including death threats and online harassment, carry potential penalties under French law, including prison sentences of two to five years and fines ranging from €30,000 to €45,000.
The International Boxing Association, banned from the Olympics, disqualified Khelif and Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting from last year’s world championships, claiming both failed unspecified eligibility tests for women’s competitions. The IOC has criticized these arbitrary gender tests as “irremediable” and supported both athletes since the Paris Games began.
Experts highlight that the scrutiny faced by Khelif and Yu-ting underscores the disproportionate examination and discrimination against female athletes of color regarding sex testing and false accusations of being male or transgender.