J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk named in cyberbullying lawsuit filed by Algerian gold medal boxer Imane Khelif

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and X owner Elon Musk have been named in Algerian boxer Imane Khelif's cyberbullying lawsuit after the Olympic gold medalist was the target of an online smear campaign over false claims about her gender, her lawyer confirmed.

Nabil Boudi, Khelif's Paris-based lawyer, told US magazine Variety on Tuesday that both figures were referenced in the body of the lawsuit.

Boudi said former US President Donald Trump, though not directly mentioned in the lawsuit, could also be impacted, due to his participation in the online attacks against Khelif.

The complaint was filed against X, which means the case was filed against unknown individuals under French law, which "ensure[s] that the 'prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people, including those who may have written hateful messages under pseudonyms," Boudi told Variety, adding that "overseas personalities" could also be targeted, despite the complaint being filed in France.

"What we’re asking is that the prosecution investigates not only these people but whoever it feels necessary. If the case goes to court, they will stand trial."

Rowling, Musk, and other right-wing public figures questioned Khelif's gender and right to compete at the Paris Olympics, after Italian boxer Angela Carini withdrew 46 seconds into a match against the Algerian on 1 August, claiming that she had never been hit so hard in her boxing career.

Carini refused to shake Khelif's hand in the end and was seen sobbing.

Following the match, Khelif soon found herself in the middle of a misinformation and transphobic social media storm over her gender identity, spearheaded by Rowling and Musk, among others.

The Harry Potter author wrote on X:  "Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered." The tweet was accompanied by a picture of Carini and Khelif.

Musk also replied "absolutely" to an X posted by swimmer Riley Gaines who said: "Men don’t belong in women's sports."

Several high-profile right-wing accounts joined in the vilification of the 25-year-old Algerian, accusing her of being a man, transgender, intersex, or having X and Y chromosomes.

Khelif was disqualified by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year during the World Championships for failing a "gender" test, though details were never revealed.

The IBA has come under fire for corruption-related scandals and its links to Russia in the past, claims The New Arab cannot confirm but have been widely circulated.

Additionally, it is no longer recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which criticised the outcome of the tests and stressed Khelif was eligible as she is labelled as a woman in her passport.

The 25-year-old won the gold medal in the women’s 66kg (welterweight) category on Friday, after beating China’s Yang Liu 5-0, in spite of the defamation and online harassment she was subjected to.

Khelif remained largely silent throughout her ordeal, but following her victory, she said: "I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, I competed as a woman."

She later said her critics were the "enemies of her success", which gave her win "a special taste because of these attacks".

Her lawyer initially announced on Friday that a complaint was filed with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor's office for combating online hate speech, citing "aggravated cyber-harassment" targeting the Algerian boxer.

Boudi also stated that despite Khelif receiving a number of apologies from those who attacked her "wouldn’t change anything regarding the investigation". "The lawsuit is filed and the facts remain," he said.

Khelif became Algeria’s second Olympic gold medal winner at the Paris Games after gymnast Kaylia Nemour, and the first female boxer from the North African country to win a medal at any Olympic Games - making her a national hero.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in the rural area in the province of Tiaret, won over a legion of fans from her homeland and beyond during the Olympics, and even received a phone call from President Abdelmadjid Tebboune following her match, congratulating the athlete on her victory.