The French prosecutor's office confirms Imane Khelif's complaint for cyberbullying against Elon Musk and J.K Rowling

French authorities on Tuesday opened an investigation following a complaint of aggravated cyberbullying filed by Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, gold medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, who is at the center of a gender controversy.

The French national service of fight against online hate opened the investigation for "cyber harassment due to gender, public insult due to gender, public provocation to discrimination and public insult due to origin," the prosecutor's office specified to AFP.

The investigation has been entrusted to the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes, according to AFP.

"The boxer Imane Khelif, who has just won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, decided to fight a new fight: that of justice, dignity and honor," her lawyer Nabil Boudi, who announced having filed the complaint the day before, said in a statement on Saturday. The public prosecutor's office confirmed on Monday that it had received the complaint.

"The criminal investigation will determine who was at the forefront of this misogynist, racist and sexist campaign but should also focus on those who have fueled this digital lynching," the lawyer added.

According to the U.S. magazine Variety, billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social network X (Twitter) and British writer J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter saga, are cited in the complaint.

Confusion over IOC criteria

Elon Musk and J.K. Rowling are part of the large group of public personalities who have taken to social media and commented on the situation that occurred in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, when Khelif was accused of participating in the women's category despite not meeting the international federation's eligibility criteria.

Other voices that carry weight in the world of women's sports, like Riley Gaines, also condemned her participation. However, Khelif's case goes beyond the controversies over the participation of transgender athletes, as originally alleged.

Khelif, as assured by the International Boxing Association (IBA), did not meet the requirements to be considered a woman and was stopped from competitions by this organization in 2023 after undergoing tests. According to the president of this organization, Khelif has XY chromosomes.

However, in these Paris 2024 Games, the IBA was removed from management and regulation by the International Olympic Committee after the organization showed itself to be very close to Vladimir Putin's regime. The IOC, with its own standards, admitted Khelif to the women's competition.