Imane Khelif takes legal action against cyberbullies; among them, Rowling and Musk

Imane Khelif, Olympic champion from Paris, who won gold in women's boxing in the 66-kilogram category, intends to fight for her good name. In an interview with her lawyer, Variety confirmed that the Algerian boxer wants to hold the haters accountable for posts attacking her. After she won the Olympic medal, social media was flooded with exceptionally controversial posts.

Nabil Boudi, a French lawyer representing Khelif, confirmed her intention to fight for "justice, dignity, and honour" through legal means. The case concerns cyberbullying, and among those named in the lawsuit are J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk. Speaking about the Algerian's fight, the writer referred to her in masculine terms. She also suggested that Khelif might be a transgender person. The same was done by, among others, Donald Trump.

Musk, on the other hand, "retweeted" one of the controversial posts, indicating that he shares the same opinion on the matter. Some cite the exclusion of her and Li Yu-ting from Taiwan from the IBA World Championships in 2023 as an argument. Tests were conducted then, but their results were never disclosed aside from verbal assurances. Their credibility and legality were also questioned, as mentioned by IOC spokesperson Mark Adams.

Furthermore, Khelif is not a transgender person but a woman assigned female at birth. The International Olympic Committee confirmed this. Her father also spoke about it in an interview with Sky Sports. Because of similar posts, Imane has become the target of defamation. After her victory, she told reporters:

I’m a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived a woman, I competed as a woman, there’s no doubt about that.

Imane's lawyer confirmed that the names of Rowling and Musk are mentioned in the lawsuit. However, it is not only about them but primarily about the dozens of anonymous comments that relentlessly attacked his client. It was assured that it also concerns Trump's statements.

J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others – the boxer's lawyer conveyed. Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.

Boudi points out that the investigation should include all individuals who may be culpable in the matter. If the case goes to court, those responsible will be held legally accountable.