Investigation Launched into Harassment of Algerian Boxer Imane Khelif
French prosecutors have initiated an investigation following a complaint lodged by Imane Khelif, the Algerian boxer and Olympic gold medalist, regarding severe online harassment linked to her gender and her participation in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games. The Paris public prosecutor’s office confirmed via email that Khelif’s complaint was received on Monday and has since been referred to the OCLCH, the Central Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes.
The OCLCH is currently investigating allegations of cyberbullying based on gender, public insults related to gender, public provocation to discrimination, and public insults grounded in origin, as stated by the prosecutor’s office. According to a report by the Associated Press, it is ultimately up to the prosecutors to determine culpability in this case.
While the OCLCH acknowledged its responsibility for the investigation, it refrained from disclosing a copy of Khelif’s complaint, citing the need for confidentiality during the investigation process. On Sunday, Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, announced through a statement on Instagram that his firm had formally submitted the complaint to the online hate unit of the Paris prosecutor’s office.
“This unjust harassment directed at the boxing champion will remain a significant blemish on these Olympic Games,” Boudi remarked. Khelif, who clinched a gold medal on Friday, has faced an overwhelming wave of negative attention across social media platforms throughout the Games. Her initial bout in the 66-kilogram (145-pound) division concluded dramatically when her opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, withdrew within just 46 seconds after sustaining several hard punches from Khelif, including a blow to the nose that left Carini gasping for breath.
Khelif, assigned female at birth and consistently identified as a woman on her legal documents, has received repeated affirmations from the International Olympic Committee regarding her eligibility to compete in the women’s division. However, Carini’s swift concession highlighted a contentious decision made by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year, which disqualified both Khelif and another boxer, Lin Yu-ting, from the IBA’s world championships. Lin subsequently won a gold medal in the women’s 126-pound featherweight category on Saturday night.
The IBA justified its disqualification of Khelif and Lin by suggesting they possessed advantages over other female competitors, based on tests conducted during its tournament. However, specifics regarding these tests were not disclosed, and IBA officials faced public backlash as they awkwardly backtracked on plans to provide more detailed results during the Games. The IOC, in response to the IBA’s claims, pointed out that the issues reflected more on the IBA’s disorganization than on its authority concerning women’s sports.
This controversy has ignited a heated debate among sports enthusiasts and advocates, igniting sensitive discussions around inclusion, fairness, and the intricate biology of sex. Khelif has been subjected to a barrage of online criticism, much of which is based on false assertions. Boudi condemned the public discourse as a “misogynistic, racist, and sexist campaign.”
Required Reading
- How Olympic boxer Imane Khelif’s performance embroiled arguments about gender in sport
- Questions and answers: The Olympic women’s boxing gender controversy
- IBA digs in on Olympic boxing controversy that Imane Khelif calls a ‘fierce campaign’
- IOC’s Bach dismisses boxing controversy as ‘culture war,’ but a correction highlights complexities of issue
(Photo: Ulrik Pedersen / DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
