What to know about Olympic boxer Imane Khelif’s cyberbullying complaint
Washington PostAug 17
JK Rowling, Elon Musk Named in Olympic Boxer's Online Harassment Lawsuit
Above: Gold Medallist Imane Khelif of Team Algeria celebrates with her medal after the Boxing Women's 66kg medal ceremony following the Boxing Women's 66kg August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. Image copyright: Richard Pelham/Stringer/Getty Images Sport via Getty Images
The Facts
JK Rowling and Elon Musk are among those mentioned in a criminal complaint that Algerian Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif filed last week in Paris over alleged "acts of aggravated cyber harassment," her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, has confirmed to Variety.
Both the tech billionaire and Harry Potter author appeared to engage in discourse suggesting the welterweight fighter was either a man or transgender in the wake of her opening bout at the Paris Olympics, after the abrupt withdrawal of her opponent.
The Spin
Right narrative
This lawsuit is both a test for policing social media worldwide and a publicity stunt from woke prosecutors in France, who have long resorted to associating high-profile figures with bogus complaints. Given that Khelif's gender is controversial at best, these developments further undermine free speech — particularly for women's rights advocates.
Left narrative
Far-right figures such as Trump and Musk have joined forces with anti-trans activists like JK Rowling to attack cisgender female Imane Khelif, paying little attention to the fact that she had competed — and won just a single bout — at Tokyo 2020 without any commotion. It's great news that they may soon be held accountable for their wrongdoing.