Elon Musk and JK Rowling could be handed five-year prison sentences and fined up to £214,000 if Olympic boxer Imane Khelif wins criminal cyberbullying case

Elon Musk and JK Rowling could face five-year prison terms and fines of up to £214,000 if Paris 2024 Olympics boxer Imane Khelif wins her case against them – after she included the pair in a criminal ‘cyber-bullying’ lawsuit. 

Tech billionaire Musk and Harry Potter author Rowling were among the high-profile figures leading the outcry about Khelif taking part in this summer’s Games at which the Algerian fighter won gold.

Now Khelif has filed a lawsuit to French authorities alleging ‘acts of aggravated cyber harassment’ – and the potential penalties at stake have now been revealed, as well as the prospect of yet more famous names being targeted. 

The 25-year-old Olympian, who is not a transgender woman, allegedly has male ‘XY chromosomes’ which led to her disqualification from 2023 world championships.

At the time she failed unspecified gender eligibility tests administered by the now-banned International Boxing Association, with the International Olympic Committee instead taking charge of the boxing events at Paris 2024. 

Harry Potter writer JK Rowling, pictured at at the BAFTA British Academy Film Awards at London’s Albert Hall in February 2017, has criticised Khelif taking part in this summer’s Games

Tech billionaire Elon Musk – who owns the social media site X, formerly Twitter – also used the platform to condemn Khelif’s participation in the women’s boxing at Paris 2024

Her participation against women boxers at the Games led to protests from many, including Musk and Rowling as well as some of her defeated competitors – but also support from others who backed her right to fight.

Nabil Boudi, the gold medalist’s Paris-based attorney, has now told Variety Musk and Rowling were both named in the criminal complaint posted to the anti-online hatred center of the public prosecutor’s office last week. 

Possible repercussions for cyber-bullying offences in France are prison sentences, ranging from two to five years, and fines between £26,000 and £39,000.

If prosecuted as online hate speech, perpetrators could even be fined £64,000 to £214,000.

Mr Boudi said Khelif filed the lawsuit as part of her ‘fight for justice, dignity and honour’.

It was issued against Musk’s social media network X, formerly named Twitter, which means it was filed against ‘unknown persons’ according to French Law. 

The lawyer explained that it ensures that the ‘prosecution has all the latitude to be able to investigate against all people,’ including those who shared hateful messages under pseudonyms.

‘J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit, among others,’ he wrote on X, noting that ex-US President Donald Trump would also be part of the investigation. 

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif named Elon Musk and JK Rowling in a cyber harassment lawsuit

The Olympic gold medalist’s attorney filed a suit against X, and named the high-profile stars 

He said: ‘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.’

He added that while this particular lawsuit was filed in France, ‘it could target personalities overseas’.

‘Trump tweeted, so whether or not he is named in our lawsuit, he will inevitably be looked into as part of the prosecution,’ he added.

French prosecutors have now opened an investigation into Khelif’s online harassment complaint, the Paris prosecutor’s office said today – without naming specific subjects.

Its Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime is probing charges of ‘cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insults on the basis of origin’.

The news comes just days after Khelif took home the gold medal in the women’s 66kg boxing competition. 

She emerged victorious after enduring a widespread campaign, in which she faced a barrage of questions over her gender.  

In one post on X, Rowling shared a photo of Khelif’s fight with Italy’s Angela Carini, accusing the Algerian of being a man who was ‘enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head’.

‘J. K. Rowling and Elon Musk are named in the lawsuit’, Khelife’s lawyer wrote on X – the Harry Potter author (pictured) has been vocal in her criticism of the boxer’s Paris 2024 participation

Nabil Boudi explained that he hopes the ‘prosecution [will] investigate against all people’ – including tech billionaire Musk (pictured at the Cannes Lions International Festival this June)

Trump shared a clip of Khelif’s fight vs Cerini and said he’d ‘keep men out of women’s sports’

Musk re-shared US former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines’ post that said ‘men don’t belong in women’s sports’  – with the SpaceX boss adding: ‘Absolutely.’

Meanwhile, Trump wrote, ‘I will keep men out of women’s sports,’ alongside a snap of Khelif’s bout with Carini.  

Backlash against the boxer began when Carini abandoned their fight in just 46 seconds after she was hit twice, suffered a suspected broken nose and barely threw a punch.

The Italian then sank to her knees, beat the canvas in frustration and refused to shake Khelif’s hand as she conceding victory. 

Meanwhile, Olympic bosses doubled down on their decision to allow Khelif – and Taiwan‘s Lin Yu-ting – to compete after they were disqualified from the 2023 world championship.

Shortly after the event, the IBA had their status stripped by the IOC over governance issues and alleged corruption.

‘Every person has the right to practice sport without discrimination,’ the IOC said in a statement, which also attacked ‘misleading information about two female athletes.’

‘The IOC is saddened by the abuse that the two athletes are currently receiving.’

The 25-year-old was cleared to compete in the women’s category at the 2024 Paris Olympics

Angela Carini abandoned her fight with Khelif in 46 seconds before breaking down in tears

Khelif has now returned to Algeria, where she was welcomed by the country’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and then family in her hometown of Ain Mesbah.

Back home, her former coach Mustapha Bensaou said the boxer’s complaint in France was initiated by the Algerian authorities and should ‘serve as a lesson in defending the rights and honor (of athletes) in Algeria and around the world’.

He told the Associated Press: ‘All those involved will be prosecuted for violating Imane’s dignity and honour.

‘The attacks on Imane were designed to break her and undermine her morale. Thank God, she triumphed.’

Some sports have limited the levels of testosterone allowed for athletes competing in women’s competition, while others ban everyone who has been through male puberty.

Differences of Sexual Disorder are a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs.

Some people with DSDs are raised as female but have XY sex chromosomes and blood testosterone levels in the male range.

The IOC said the rules of eligibility were based on those of the Tokyo Games in 2021 and could not be changed during a competition.