Paris 2024 Olympics: Imane Khelif files complaint for online harassment

Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has filed a complaint in France for online harassment following a barrage of criticism and false claims about her gender during the Paris Olympics, her lawyer announced Sunday.

Imane Khelif , Algeria 's flag bearer at the closing ceremony, won gold in the welterweight division on Friday, becoming a new hero in her homeland and drawing global attention to women's boxing .

The complaint was filed Friday with the Paris prosecutor's special unit charged with combating online hate speech, alleging "aggravated cyber-harassment" targeting Khelif, lawyer Nabil Boudi said. In a statement, he described a "misogynistic, racist and sexist campaign" against the boxer.

It is now up to prosecutors to decide whether or not to open an investigation. As is often the case in French law, the complaint does not name an alleged perpetrator and leaves it up to investigators to determine who might be responsible.

Gender identity

Imane Khelif was unwittingly drawn into a conflict over gender identity and the sport's regulations after her first fight, when her Italian opponent Angela Carini withdrew seconds into the bout, citing pain from the first few punches.

False claims that Khelif was transgender or a man have erupted online, and the International Olympic Committee has defended her and denounced those spreading misinformation. Khelif said spreading misconceptions about her “undermines human dignity . ”

Earlier, Kirsty Burrows, head of the IOC's safeguarding and mental health unit, filed a complaint with French authorities, claiming she had received death threats and online harassment following a press conference in Paris where she defended Imane Khelif.

The Paris prosecutor's office said it received Kirsty Burrows' complaint on August 4 and officers from the National Hate Crime Unit are investigating the alleged offences, which include death threats, public provocations to attack a person and online harassment. Under French law, these offences, if proven, carry prison sentences of two to five years and fines of €30,000 to €45,000.

Tests

The International Boxing Association, banned by the Olympics, disqualified Imane Khelif and Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting from the world championships last year, saying both boxers had failed unspecified eligibility tests for women's competition. The IOC has called the arbitrary gender tests imposed on the two women by the sport's governing body "irremediable" and has defended both boxers since the start of the Paris Games.

Experts say the scrutiny of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting reflects the disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination against female athletes of colour when it comes to sex testing and false claims that they are male or transgender.