In a new development surrounding the cyber harassment case involving newly crowned Olympic champion Imane Khelif, prominent figures such as J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk have been named in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities. The complaint, lodged by Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, Nabil Boudi, was submitted to the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office. This lawsuit is aimed at addressing “acts of aggravated cyber harassment,” and though it was filed against X (formerly Twitter) under French law—allowing the prosecution to investigate all parties, even those using pseudonyms—high-profile individuals like Rowling and Musk are explicitly mentioned.
Boudi also confirmed that Donald Trump, who tweeted about Khelif, will inevitably be part of the investigation, despite not being directly named in the lawsuit. As this case unfolds, it continues to attract attention for the level of involvement of such globally recognized figures.
Throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif became the focus of a disturbing and unjust narrative—false claims questioning her gender. Despite this, Khelif rose above the noise, clinching gold in the women’s welterweight division, a victory that not only made her a national hero in Algeria but also shone a global spotlight on women’s boxing.
Khelif delivered the best performance of her boxing career, decisively defeating China’s Yang Liu 5-0 in the women’s welterweight final at Roland Garros. The victory was electrifying, with the crowd erupting in cheers, waving Algerian flags, and chanting her name with every punch she landed.
But her triumph in the ring was just the beginning of a new fight—one for her dignity and against the vitriol of online harassment. After her gold medal win, Khelif took swift legal action, filing a complaint against the social media platform X, accusing it of allowing a campaign of “aggravated cyber-harassment.” Her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, described the abuse as a “misogynist, racist, and sexist campaign” orchestrated by individuals with significant influence and reach on the platform. According to court documents cited by Le Monde, the posts targeting Khelif garnered over 100 million views, fueled by public figures including former U.S. President Donald Trump and British author J.K. Rowling.
The speculation was “fuelled by malicious individuals,” Boudi said. “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 boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity, and honor,” Boudi declared, as he announced the formal complaint to Paris prosecutors.
Khelif herself has been clear: “All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world.” Her defiant statement, “I am a woman like any other,” following her gold medal victory, was a powerful rebuttal to those who sought to diminish her.
The allegations against Khelif were not only false but also part of a broader, more insidious pattern of discrimination against female athletes of color. Experts have pointed out that Khelif, along with Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting, who faced similar scrutiny, were subjected to disproportionate and discriminatory practices. Last year, both were disqualified from the world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) under vague and arbitrary eligibility tests—a move condemned by the International Olympic Committee as “irretrievably flawed.”
Last year, the International Olympic Committee made the unprecedented decision to permanently ban the International Boxing Association (IBA) from the Olympics, citing long standing concerns over its governance, competitive integrity, and financial transparency. The IOC also condemned the arbitrary sex tests imposed by the IBA on the two boxers, describing them as irretrievably flawed.
Khelif’s ordeal began after her first Olympic fight when her Italian opponent, Angela Carini, withdrew just seconds into the match, claiming pain from the opening punches. This sparked a wave of baseless rumors that Khelif was transgender, which spread like wildfire online. The International Olympic Committee swiftly defended her, denouncing the misinformation and standing by her right to compete.
Now, with the complaint filed, it is up to French prosecutors to decide whether to open an investigation. As is typical under French law, the complaint does not name specific perpetrators, leaving it to investigators to uncover those responsible. All we can say is, go get ‘em girl.
