Imane Khelif, the Paris Olympics boxing gold medalist embroiled in a gender eligibility controversy, has filed a criminal complaint involving billionaire Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), and author J.K. Rowling. In a recent development, Imane Khelif files lawsuit against both Musk and Rowling, alleging involvement in the controversy surrounding her gender eligibility.

A controversy unfolded at the Paris 2024 Olympics when Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew from her bout with Imane Khelif less than a minute into the match after enduring a series of powerful punches. Carini was visibly emotional, sobbing and declining to shake hands with Khelif. The situation was further complicated by Khelif’s  history, as she had been disqualified from the previous year's world championships due to failing gender eligibility tests. Following the bout, Khelif faced online trolling.

According to a report by the American magazine Variety on Tuesday, a legal complaint has been lodged against Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling for online harassment. Khelif’s Paris-based attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed to Variety and said “JK Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others.”

Imane Khelif files lawsuit
Image Source: OPB

Boudi also mentioned that former U.S. President Donald Trump will be included in the investigation. He said "Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

Imane Khelif Files Lawsuit: Allegations of Online Harassment

Elon Musk and J.K Rowling are being sued after their controversial statements on X. Elon Musk had retweeted a post on X by American swimmer Riley Gaines, who stated "Men don't belong in women's sports #IStandWithAngelaCarini."

J.K. Rowling, the creator of Harry Potter, had referred to the Algerian boxer as a man and said "Watch this (whole thread), then explain why you're OK with a man beating a woman in public for your entertainment. This isn't a sport. From the bullying cheat in red all the way up to the organizers who allowed this to happen, this is men reveling in their power over women.” 

She shared another post on X which had a picture of the Italian Boxer and the caption saying "Could any picture sum up our new men's rights movement better? The smirk of a male who knows he's protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head, and whose life's ambition he's just shattered.”

Donald Trump was also a part of the bandwagon against Khelif during the controversy. He had stated "keep men out of women's sports".

On Saturday, Imane Khelif's lawyer N. Boudi confirmed that she has submitted a legal  complaint in France concerning online harassment. He said "The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour," Her lawyer stated that the lawsuit was filed for “aggravated online harassment... to Paris prosecutors".

He added "The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching.” He further said that the boxing champion's experience of  "iniquitous harassment" is the "the biggest stain on these Olympic Games.”

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