Algerian boxer Iman Khelif has filed a lawsuit against American billionaire Elon Musk and British author J.K. Rowling, accusing them of inciting hate speech and defamation related to her participation in the upcoming Paris Olympics.
Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, revealed in an interview with Variety that the owner of Tesla and the author of the Harry Potter series were named in the criminal complaint, which was submitted to the Center for Countering Digital Hate under the French Public Prosecutor’s Office last week.
The lawsuit targets Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), which means it has been filed against “unknown persons” under French law, allowing the prosecution to investigate anyone involved, including those who shared hateful messages under pseudonyms.
In a post on X, Boudi confirmed that both Rowling and Musk were named in the lawsuit, adding that former US President Donald Trump would also be part of the investigation.
The controversy began when J.K. Rowling shared an image of Khelif’s match against Italian boxer Angela Carini, accusing Khelif of being a man “enjoying the oppression of a woman.”
Musk, on the other hand, reposted a message from swimmer Riley Gaines, who claimed that “men do not belong in women’s sports.”
This controversy marks a sharp contrast to Khelif’s previous Olympic experience in Tokyo, where her participation went largely unnoticed.
Now 25, Khelif finds herself at the center of a heated debate over her gender identity, spurred by a disagreement between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Boxing Association (IBA).
While the IBA claimed that Khelif failed a test designed to determine her gender, the IOC has maintained that her eligibility is not in question, allowing her to compete in women’s matches.
However, the Algerian boxer has since become the target of a hate-fueled and racially charged smear campaign on social media.
This case raises significant questions about the role of social media in perpetuating hate speech and the legal responsibilities of high-profile individuals who engage in online discourse, especially when it concerns sensitive topics like gender identity in sports.
