Olympic boxing champion reportedly names Elon Musk, J.K. Rowling in online harassment complaint

The boxing champion at the centre of a worldwide clash over sex and gender identity in sports has reportedly named Elon Musk and author J.K. Rowling in an online harassment complaint being investigated by French prosecutors.

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who won a gold medal in the women's welterweight division in the 2024 Paris Olympics, filed a legal complaint in France for online harassment after false claims erupted online that Khelif was transgender or a "biological man." 

In a statement posted Saturday to Instagram, Khelif's lawyer, Nabil Boudi, alleged "aggravated cyber-harassment" targeting Khelif. He described it as a "misogynist, racist and sexist campaign" against the boxer.

On Wednesday, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed it had received the complaint and its Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime had opened an investigation on charges of "cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insults on the basis of origin."

Khelif's legal complaint was filed against social media platforms, including X, instead of a specific perpetrator. This is a common formulation under French law that leaves it up to investigators to determine which person or organization may have been at fault, notes the Associated Press.

That "ensures that the prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people," including those who may have used pseudonyms, Boudi told the news outlet Variety in an interview.

He reportedly told Variety that "J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others."

CBC News reached out to Boudi for further confirmation but has not heard back.

Khelif was thrust into a worldwide