News Desk

The Advocate Post: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who recently made history by winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games, has taken legal action against social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over allegations of online harassment.

Khelif, who has been at the center of a heated gender dispute, filed a formal complaint in France, her lawyer announced on Saturday. The legal move comes in response to a torrent of online abuse and speculation about her gender identity, which erupted following her victory.

The controversy surrounding Khelif and fellow gold medalist, Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, has sparked intense debate on social media. The French newspaper Le Monde reported that Khelif’s complaint was lodged with the Paris correctional court and the national center for combating online harassment.

In a statement, Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, described the complaint as a fight for “justice, dignity, and honor.” He added that the legal action targets “aggravated online harassment” and was officially filed with Paris prosecutors on Friday.

Khelif herself spoke out against the online attacks, stating, “All that is being said about me on social media is immoral. I want to change the minds of people around the world.”

The complaint alleges that the harassment was driven by “important political figures” with large followings on X. Posts targeting Khelif reportedly amassed over 100 million views, according to court documents.

Boudi emphasized that the investigation would not only identify those responsible for the initial harassment but also those who contributed to the “misogynist, racist, and sexist campaign” against Khelif. The backlash has drawn commentary from high-profile figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump, author J.K. Rowling, and various right-wing French politicians.

Khelif, who faced this controversy head-on, declared after her Olympic victory, “I am a woman like any other,” and asserted that winning gold was the perfect response to the “attacks” and “bullying” she endured.

With this legal action, Khelif is set to continue her fight, this time in the courtroom, as she seeks justice and an end to the online abuse that has overshadowed her historic achievement.