Elon Musk and JK Rowling could face five-year prison sentences accompanying huge fines in Olympic boxer Imane Khelif cyberbullying case.
Elon Musk and JK Rowling are facing potential prison time and hefty fines due to a lawsuit filed by Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.
The case revolves around allegations of cyberbullying linked to comments made online after Khelif became embroiled in a gender eligibility controversy.
Khelif says that both Musk and Rowling helped spread hurtful messages, causing her a lot of emotional pain and stress.
The lawsuit, which is being pursued in France, could result in significant legal repercussions if Khelif wins her case.
Elon Musk and JK Rowling embarked on cyberbullying toward Imane Khelif
Khelif won a gold medal in women’s boxing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
She has filed a complaint in France, accusing several famous individuals of “aggravated cyber harassment.”
Musk and Rowling are among those named in the lawsuit.
During the Olympics, Khelif faced a controversy about her gender eligibility.
After failing an unspecified test, she was initially disqualified from the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
The International Olympic Committee eventually decided she could compete in the Paris Games.
She then won the gold medal in the women’s 66kg event.
Khelif faced strong criticism from Musk and Rowling, who publicly questioned her right to compete in the women’s division.
Musk shared a post by American swimmer Riley Gaines, stating, “Men don’t belong in women’s sports.”
Meanwhile, Rowling called Khelif a “male” on Twitter and accused the boxer of causing emotional harm to a female opponent.
Elon Musk and JK Rowling face five-year prison in Imane Khelif cyberbullying case
In France, cyberbullying offenses can carry prison sentences of up to five years and fines of up to $325,000.
Khelif’s lawyer, Nabil Boudi, has confirmed that both Musk and Rowling were named in the complaint filed with the anti-online hatred center of the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
“If the likes of Musk and Rowling lose the case to Khelif, they could face time behind bars,” Boudi stated.
“While cyber-bullying offenses in France also carry hefty fines.”
Former US president Donald Trump also was mentioned in Imane Khelif cyberbullying case
The lawsuit also mentions former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had taken to his Truth Social platform to declare.
“I will keep men out of women’s sports.”
Boudi indicated that Trump could be subject to further investigation as part of the prosecution, even if he is not named directly in the complaint.
Khelif’s victory in the Olympic boxing final against China’s Yang Liu had already sparked outrage from some high-profile figures who questioned her eligibility to compete in the women’s division.
The controversy escalated when Khelif’s fight against Italy’s Angela Carini ended in just 46 seconds after the Italian boxer abandoned the bout altogether.
Despite the initial disqualification from the IBA World Championships, the IOC deemed Khelif eligible to compete in the Olympics, and she ultimately claimed the gold medal.
However, the public backlash and calls to exclude her from the women’s competition have led to a lawsuit for cyberbullying against Musk and Rowling.
Social media reactions
Many online users on social media left comments to support Imane Khelif after she took fierce legal action against cyber bullies.
Many users praised her bravery for standing up against harassment and emphasized the importance of protecting athletes from online abuse.
From her perspective, this is a dangerous and complex case.
I believe that whoever represents her may be set to gain all her endorsement payments, one user said.
Good luck with trying to win a spurious law suit against two of the richest people in the world, the second user commented.
This is insane….how many thousands/millions posted on line about this fighter and the gender question…..going to sue them all? The third user said.
They deserve it , hopefully they will learn their lesson not to harass people and spread misinformation, another wrote.
Imane khelif deserves universal apology, she was born female, someone said.