Helif became an Olympic champion, but faced a torrent of online bullying after failing the «gender test» — Now the boxer has filed a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling of cyberstalking, among others.
The complaint was filed with the Center for Combating Internet Hate at the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office and names Twitter/X as the main defendant. According to French law, this means that the lawsuit is filed against unnamed individuals — at the same time, it includes the names of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and J.K. Rowling, among others, who are known for their controversial statements.
Iman Khelif found herself at the epicenter of the Olympics scandal when she defeated Italian Angela Carini in a fight — the match lasted less than 3 minutes, as the latter refused to finish it because she doubted that she was fighting against a woman. The International Olympic Committee ultimately sided with Khelif, noting that all participants met the eligibility criteria.
Khelif herself was born a woman and has never identified as transgender or intersex. She subsequently won a gold medal, which only fueled controversy online (mostly on Twitter).
J.K. Rowling posted a picture of Khelif’s fight with Karini on her account with 14.2 million followers, noting that the Algerian boxer was a «man enjoying the suffering of a woman he had just hit in the head». Meanwhile, Musk shared a post by swimmer Riley Gaines, who argued that «men have no place in women’s sports», adding his own remark «absolutely». Trump also posted a photo of the fight, accompanied by the message: «I will keep men out of women’s sports as much as possible!»
Khelif’s lawyer said that although the complaint mentions names, the plaintiff asks «that the prosecutor’s office investigate not only these people, but also those whom she sees fit». He also added that although the lawsuit was filed in France, «it could be directed at individuals abroad», noting that the «Center for Combating Hate on the Internet has the ability to request mutual legal assistance with other countries».
Source: Variety