Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has taken legal action in France against online harassment following a wave of criticism and false allegations regarding her gender during the Paris Olympics, according to her attorney on Sunday.
Khelif, who is set to be the flag bearer for Algeria in the closing ceremony, clinched gold on Friday in the women’s welterweight category, emerging as a new icon in Algeria and drawing global attention to women’s boxing.
The legal complaint was lodged on Friday with a specialized unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office that deals with combating online hate speech. The complaint accuses individuals of “aggravated cyber-harassment” against Khelif, as stated by her lawyer Nabil Boudi. In a statement, he labeled it as a “misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign” against the boxer.
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Prosecutors will now determine whether to launch an investigation. Per French law, the complaint does not specify an alleged perpetrator, leaving it to authorities to identify who may be at fault.
Khelif found herself unwittingly embroiled in a global debate over gender identity and sports regulations after her initial bout, during which her Italian opponent Angela Carini withdrew just moments into the match citing pain from early blows. False rumors circulated online claiming Khelif was transgender or male, prompting the International Olympic Committee to defend her and condemn the spread of misinformation. Khelif expressed that the dissemination of misconceptions about her “violates human dignity.”
Earlier, Kirsty Burrows, an official responsible for the IOC’s unit on safeguarding and mental health, filed a complaint with French authorities reporting she had received death threats and harassment online following a press conference in Paris where she had spoken in support of Khelif.
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The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed receipt of Burrows’ complaint on August 4, with investigations by the National Unit for Combating Online Hate underway. The alleged offenses include death threats, public provocations targeting an individual, and cyberbullying. Under French law, if proven, these crimes carry prison sentences ranging from two to five years and fines from 30,000 to 45,000 euros.
The International Boxing Association, banned by the Olympics, disqualified Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting from the world championships last year, alleging failure to meet unspecified eligibility criteria for women’s competition. The IOC criticized the arbitrary sex testing imposed by the sport’s governing body on both athletes and has supported them throughout the Paris Games.
Experts note that the scrutiny faced by Khelif and Lin highlights a disproportionate focus on female athletes of color in sex testing and false allegations of being male or transgender.
