- Imane Khelif defends herself against online harassment <unk> Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling file a lawsuit
During the Olympic Games in Paris, boxer and gold medalist Imane Khelif faced repeated attacks due to her gender. She is now taking legal action against this. Just one day after her final victory, her lawyer Nabil Boudi announced via X, formerly Twitter, that he would file a lawsuit for "serious cyberbullying" on her behalf.
Now, the US magazine "Variety" reports that a lawsuit has been filed against unknown users of the platform X who have been harassing the athlete. According to the report, known personalities such as former US President Donald Trump, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and author J.K. Rowling are mentioned. They had also commented on Khelif.
There was a heated debate about Khelif's eligibility to compete in Paris, which went beyond the question of sporting fairness. The boxer was excluded from the 2023 World Championships by the IBA, which is not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), after gender tests that have not been clarified. The IOC allowed Khelif to participate in Paris, stating that the gender indicated in the passport is decisive for admission to many sports.
Lawyer Boudi confirmed to "Variety" that these personalities will be mentioned in the lawsuit: "J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk will be named in the lawsuit, among others," Boudi said. "Trump tweeted, so he will inevitably be part of the investigation, whether he is named in our lawsuit or not." Trump, for example, had posted on X that he would "keep men out of women's sports."
However, the criminal investigation by the Paris prosecutor's office is not specifically targeting the individuals named in the document, but is initially intended to clarify who initiated and fueled the "misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign," as stated in Boudi's first letter. This will be "the biggest stain on these Olympic Games." They will fight a legal battle for "justice, dignity, and honor."
Imane Khelif is supported by human rights organizations
The lawsuit was filed against X, which in French law means it was filed against unknown persons. This ensures, according to Boudi, that the prosecutor's office has the full scope to investigate against all persons, including hate messages written under pseudonyms.
The fights of Algerian boxer Khelif and Lin Yi-ting (28) from Taiwan were accompanied by an emotionally charged gender debate during the Olympics. In the politically charged atmosphere, both athletes faced numerous attacks on the internet.
"The appalling extent of online abuse against Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting is another deeply disturbing example of the toxic, sexist, and racist discourse that has caused harm to women in sport and society," said Stephen Cockburn of Amnesty International in a statement from the Sports & Rights Alliance. Representatives of other human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and ILGA World also supported the two athletes.
After facing repeated attacks due to her gender during the Olympics, Imane Khelif's lawyer, Nabil Boudi, announced that they will be filing a lawsuit against unknown users of X for "serious cyberbullying." (From the original text)
Further supporting Imane Khelif, human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and ILGA World have spoken out against the toxic online abuse she and Lin Yi-ting faced during the Olympics. (New sentence)
