Imane Khelif is taking legal action against those who harassed her online on her path to winning the Gold Medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The Algerian boxer had her gender wrongly questioned as she competed in the women’s boxing competition with many online incorrectly suggesting that she was transgender. After a week of vitriol online, Imane overcame it all to win the Gold Medal in the ring.
Now that she’s done competing, she is responding to the controversy in the courtroom.
Keep reading to find out more…
Imane‘s lawyer Nabil Boudi told Reuters that she filed a legal complaint in Paris on Friday (August 9). In it, she said that she was a victim of online harassment and cyber bullying.
Her lawyer issued a statement, which was translated by Out.
“After the sporting time, comes the legal time. Having just won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, boxer Imane Khelif has decided to lead a new fight: that of justice, dignity, and honor. Ms. Khelif contacted the firm which filed a complaint yesterday for acts of cyber harassment aggravated by the anti-online hatred center of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office,” they said.
The statement reading: “The criminal investigation will determine who initiated this misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign, but will also have to focus on those who fueled this digital lynching. The unfair harassment suffered by the boxing champion will remain the biggest stain of these Olympic Games.”
“All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world,” Imane told the press.
We’ll update you as we learn more.
