French prosecutors investigate gender-based cyber harassment of Algerian Olympic champ Imane Khelif

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors opened an investigation into an online harassment complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif after a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Summer Games, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday. The athlete’s lawyer Nabil Boudi filed a legal complaint with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office that combats online hate speech on Friday.Boudi said that the boxer was targeted by a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” as she won gold in the women’s welterweight division, becoming a hero in her native Algeria and bringing global attention to women’s boxing. The prosecutor’s office said 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 was unwillingly thrust into a worldwide clash over gender identity and regulation in sports after her first fight in Paris, when Italian opponent Angela Carini pulled out just seconds into the match, citing pain from opening punches. False claims that Khelif was transgender or a man erupted online, and the International Olympic Committee defended her and denounced those peddling misinformation. Khelif said that the spread of misconceptions about her “harms human dignity.” Among those who posted misinformation about the athlete were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J. K. Rowling.Khelif’s legal complaint was filed against social media platforms, including “X,” instead of a specific perpetrator, a common formulation under French law that leaves it up to investigators to determine which person or organization that may have been at fault. 2024 Paris Olympics:What to know about the closing ceremony: A skydiving Tom Cruise and performances from Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Paris Olympics mainstay Snoop Dogg highlighted the French capital’s au revoir to the Olympics.Indelible images: AP photographers pick their favorite images from the Paris Olympics.Who won the 2024 Olympics?: See which countries tied for the most gold medals in Paris, and who exceeded expectations. When are the next Summer Games? The Olympics will always have Paris. But next up for the Summer Games: Los Angeles 2028. See how the City of Angels is preparing to follow the City of Light. The Paris prosecutor’s office didn’t name specific suspects. The development came two days after Khelif returned to Algeria, where she’s expected to meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and be welcomed by family in her hometown of Ain Mesbah.___AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Aug 14, 2024 - 07:31

French prosecutors investigate gender-based cyber harassment of Algerian Olympic champ Imane Khelif

PARIS (AP) — French prosecutors opened an investigation into an online harassment complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif after a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Summer Games, the Paris prosecutor’s office said Monday.

The athlete’s lawyer Nabil Boudi filed a legal complaint with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor’s office that combats online hate speech on Friday.

Boudi said that the boxer was targeted by a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign” as she won gold in the women’s welterweight division, becoming a hero in her native Algeria and bringing global attention to women’s boxing.

The prosecutor’s office said 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 was unwillingly thrust into a worldwide clash over gender identity and regulation in sports after her first fight in Paris, when Italian opponent Angela Carini pulled out just seconds into the match, citing pain from opening punches.

False claims that Khelif was transgender or a man erupted online, and the International Olympic Committee defended her and denounced those peddling misinformation. Khelif said that the spread of misconceptions about her “harms human dignity.”

Among those who posted misinformation about the athlete were Donald Trump, Elon Musk and J. K. Rowling.

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

2024 Paris Olympics:

What to know about the closing ceremony: A skydiving Tom Cruise and performances from Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Paris Olympics mainstay Snoop Dogg highlighted the French capital’s au revoir to the Olympics.
Indelible images: AP photographers pick their favorite images from the Paris Olympics.
Who won the 2024 Olympics?: See which countries tied for the most gold medals in Paris, and who exceeded expectations.
When are the next Summer Games? The Olympics will always have Paris. But next up for the Summer Games: Los Angeles 2028. See how the City of Angels is preparing to follow the City of Light.

The Paris prosecutor’s office didn’t name specific suspects.

The development came two days after Khelif returned to Algeria, where she’s expected to meet with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and be welcomed by family in her hometown of Ain Mesbah.