Olympic boxer Imane Khelif takes legal action against online abuse after Paris victory

After securing a gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Algerian pugilist Imane Khelif is taking her fight from the ring to the courtroom to tackle online harassment, as declared by her legal counsel.

In a press statement, Nabil Boudi announced: "The boxer Imane Khelif has decided to begin a new fight, a fight for justice, dignity and honour". Additionally, he revealed that Khelif has initiated legal action with Paris prosecutors on grounds of "aggravated online harassment".

Boudi went into detail about his client's intentions with the legal move, commenting: "The investigation will determine who was behind this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign, but will also have to concern itself with those who fed the online lynching." Khelif demonstrated her prowess in the ring with a unanimous decision win against China's Yang Liu in the women's welterweight final on Friday. Prior to her Olympic achievement, she encountered significant negativity, especially following her failure to pass a gender test at the 2023 Women's World Championships.

Critique intensified for Khelif post her victory over Italy's Angela Carini, whose early end to their contentious bout provoked a strong reaction as she exclaimed "this is unjust" while vacating the ring with tears. Exhibiting remorse for not congratulating Khelif after losing, Carini remarked to the media that the hits from the Algerian were notably severe among those she's encountered in her career.

The sports community is in uproar as numerous individuals, including high-profile personalities such as Elon Musk, JK Rowling, and Donald Trump, have taken to social media to voice their discontent regarding boxer Khelif's participation in the women's events at the Paris Games.

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