Algerian champion Imane Khelif, who won the gold medal in the 66kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has launched a legal battle against what she describes as severe online harassment and controversy surrounding her sexual identity.
In a statement issued by her lawyer, Nabil Boudi, on Saturday, he confirmed that Khelif had filed a complaint with the Centre for Combating Cyber Hate at the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Boudi explained that the criminal investigations will seek to identify the parties responsible for launching and fueling this racist and offensive campaign, which negatively affected Khelif’s reputation after she won the gold.
This comes after the athlete was criticized for conservative allegations about her eligibility to participate in women’s competitions, which were denied by the International Boxing Federation and the International Olympic Committee.
Khelif added a historic achievement to Algeria and Africa’s record by defeating China’s Liu Yang in the Roland Garros finals, which witnessed her transition from the tennis courts to the boxing rings.
The Algerian President congratulates the President of the Libyan Presidential Council on the occasion of Eid al-Adha