Imane Khelif takes legal motion over online abuse after winning gold medal

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won the Olympic gold medal in the ladies’s 66-kilogram category on the Paris Olympic Games, has initiated legal motion in response to a wave of online abuse she endured throughout the competition. Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, said Sunday that a proper grievance has been filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office, citing aggravated cyber harassment.

The harassment Khelif faced was tied to intense scrutiny and unfounded accusations regarding her gender. Despite the backlash, Khelif emerged the gold medal winner, but the web abuse forged a shadow over her achievement.

“Having just won a gold medal on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, boxer Imane Khelif has decided to steer a brand new fight: that of justice, dignity, and honor,” Boudi said in an announcement, per ESPN’s Connor Halloran. He added that the grievance seeks a criminal investigation to discover those accountable for what he described as a “misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign” against the champion.

The controversy began when the International Boxing Association (IBA), largely influenced by Russian officials, disqualified Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Li Yu-ting from last 12 months’s world championships, alleging they failed a gender eligibility test. Each athletes, nevertheless, were cleared to compete in Paris under the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) guidelines on gender eligibility. Khelif ultimately won the gold medal in her category, marking Algeria’s second boxing gold in Olympic history.

Outstanding figures also scrutinized Imane Khelif

The scrutiny Khelif faced wasn’t limited to anonymous social media users; outstanding figures equivalent to former U.S. President Donald Trump and writer J.K. Rowling also publicly questioned her eligibility, fueling further online attacks. Despite this, Khelif remained focused on her goal

“For eight years, this has been my dream, and I’m now the Olympic champion and gold medalist,” she said through an interpreter after her victory over China’s Yang Liu in the ultimate bout on Friday. “That also gives my success a special taste due to those attacks. … We’re within the Olympics to perform as athletes, and I hope that we are going to not see any similar attacks in future Olympics.”

The Paris prosecutor’s office has yet to substantiate receipt of Khelif’s grievance, though it is predicted to maneuver forward soon. Khelif’s legal team is pressing for an intensive investigation into the web abuse.

The IOC has repeatedly affirmed Khelif’s right to compete, with IOC President Thomas Bach denouncing the criticism as “hate speech.”