Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer at the center of a gender and eligibility dispute at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has filed a legal complaint alleging online harassment.
Khelif’s participation in the women’s 66-kilogram category at the Summer Games has been at the center of controversy. This came after news of her getting disqualified from last year’s World Championships for failing an unspecified gender eligibility test went viral.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that her participation was fully ratified. IOC President Thomas Bach also came out in strong support of Khelif. However, it did not stop people from questioning her gender, addressing her with abuses on social media, or even calling for her to be banned from the event.
Now, Khelif has filed a legal complaint in France against the social media platform X for harassment. French newspaper Le Monde has reported that she filed the complaint with the Paris correctional court, the National Center for Combating Online Harassment.
Khelif’s lawyer Nabil Boudi confirmed the news:
“The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour. [The complaint for] aggravated online harassment [had been filed] to Paris prosecutors,” he said.
Imane Khelif clinches gold at Paris Olympics, says success has ‘special taste’ following gender controversy
Despite a barrage of attacks online and the constant questions about her gender, Imane Khelif put all that aside to win the welterweight gold
at the Paris Olympics.
At the Rolland-Garros Stadium on Friday, August 9, she dominated the three-round bout against China’s Yang Liu and won the title with a unanimous decision. After the win, she said that she fulfilled her dream and hoped that no athlete would have to face the abuse she did in the future.
“For eight years, this has been my dream, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist. That also gives my success a special taste because of those attacks. We are in the Olympics to perform as athletes, and I hope that we will not see any similar attacks in future Olympics,” she said through an interpreter following her win.
Khelif is the first Algerian, Arab, and African woman to win an Olympic boxing gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
