Algerian gold medalist Imane Khelif has taken a stand against online harassment by filing a legal complaint with Paris prosecutors. Her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, announced this action on Saturday, stating that the complaint was submitted to the Paris prosecutor's office dedicated to combating online harassment.
Khelif's decision to pursue justice comes in response to what her lawyer described as a campaign of 'misogynistic, racist, and sexist' attacks against her. The investigation aims to identify the individuals responsible for initiating this online harassment, as well as those who perpetuated it.
Khelif's victory over Chinese competitor Yang Liu in the women's 66kg gold medal match at the Paris Games garnered significant attention. Prior to this, she made headlines by defeating Italian boxer Angela Carini in just 46 seconds during a preliminary bout.
Following her win over Carini, Khelif faced a wave of online abuse, including transphobic comments falsely labeling her as a man due to a discredited 'gender test' conducted by a boxing federation no longer authorized to oversee Olympic events.
During a press conference, IOC spokesperson Mark Adams defended Khelif's participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, emphasizing that she is a female athlete who has always identified and competed as such.
Khelif's lawyer revealed that she sought legal recourse to clear her name and address the harassment orchestrated by influential public and political figures. He condemned the attacks as unacceptable and emphasized the need to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
