250,000 euro or 5 years in prison: Imane Khelif’s fight against cyberbullying and celebrities continues
Algerian athlete Imane Khelif, who won the gold medal in the 66 kg weight category at the Paris Olympics, has filed a lawsuit against social media and a number of influential people. The athlete filed a complaint with French law enforcement agencies with accusations of “aggravated cyberstalking”. Among those named in the lawsuit are billionaire Elon Musk and writer J.K. Rowling, who now could face fines of hundreds of thousands of euros or 5 years in prison, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Khelif was subjected to a wave of hatred and false accusations on social media during the Olympics. After Khelif’s decisive victory over Italian boxer Angela Carini a real cyberbullying campaign unfolded on the Internet, during which many questioned her gender. Khelif was wrongly accused of being a man, despite official evidence supporting her female identity, including evidence from the International Olympic Committee. Khelif has stated that she has always been and remains a woman, and she continued to compete in accordance with IOC rules.
However, not just the netizens participated in spreading misinformation about Khelif. Celebrities have played a particular role in fueling this hatred. J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, has been critical of Khelif in her posts on the social media site X, claiming that the boxer is "enjoying the suffering of the woman she just punched." Elon Musk, for his part, has supported swimmer Riley Gaines, known for her views against transgender women participating in women's sports. He has publicly agreed with the statement that "men have no place in women's sports," further fueling the backlash against Khelif.
Khelif’s lawsuit filed with the Paris prosecutor’s office is aimed at the social network X and individual users, including those who operated under pseudonyms. As her lawyer Nabil Boudi explained, the French authorities can investigate all individuals involved in cyberbullying, regardless of their location. Other high-profile figures named in the complaint include former US President Donald Trump, who also made public statements on the topic on his social networks.
According to the French law in regard to cyberbullying, if the prosecutor’s office decides to prosecute the perpetrators, they can face prison terms of two to five years, as well as significant fines. If their actions are recognized as a hate crime, the fines can reach up to 250,000 euros.
Despite all the criticism and bullying on the Internet, Khelif continued to confidently move towards her goal. She won a gold medal in boxing, becoming the pride of Algeria and continuing to fight, thought now for her 'justice, dignity and honor' as said by Mr. Boudi.
The investigation of Khelif’s online harassment complaint has already been opened by the prosecution.
