Elon Musk Named in Imane Khelif’s Lawsuit

J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are among those named in a criminal complaint filed with French authorities by Algerian boxer and Olympic gold-medal winner Imane Khelif. They are accused of “acts of aggravated cyber harassment.”

Khelif’s attorney, Nabil Boudi, confirmed their inclusion in the case. The complaint, which was filed last Friday, is against X (formerly Twitter) for moral harassment. Boudi described it as a “misogynist, racist and sexist campaign.”

Two weeks ago, Khelif found herself at the center of a media storm after her opening-round opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, withdrew after just 46 seconds, unable to recover from a punch. Although Carini stated her withdrawal was not a political stance, it led to a flurry of false claims that Khelif was a transgender woman or “genetically male.” This misinformation sparked heated culture war debates.

Under French law, the lawsuit against X had to be filed against unknown persons to ensure the prosecution has all the latitude to investigate against all potential individuals, including those who may have posted hateful messages under pseudonyms. Specific individuals, however, were also named.

“J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk are among those named in the lawsuit,” Boudi told Variety. He also mentioned that former president Donald Trump might be involved. “Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution.”

If the prosecution deems it necessary, those named in the complaint could be required to stand trial. Boudi noted that although the lawsuit was filed in France, the prosecutor’s office for combating online hate speech has the authority to request mutual legal assistance from other countries.

Source: Variety