Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif has lodged a legal complaint in France, alleging online harassment following a torrent of criticism and false claims regarding her gender during the Paris Olympics, her lawyer announced on Sunday.

Khelif, who will bear Algeria's flag at the closing ceremony, secured a gold medal on Friday in the women’s welterweight division. Her victory has made her a national hero in Algeria and has garnered worldwide attention for women’s boxing.

The complaint was submitted on Friday to a specialised unit within the Paris prosecutor’s office that deals with online hate speech. It accuses those responsible of “aggravated cyber-harassment” targeting Khelif, according to her lawyer, Nabil Boudi. In a statement, Boudi characterised the campaign against Khelif as “misogynistic, racist, and sexist.”

It is now up to the prosecutors to determine whether to launch a formal investigation. As is customary under French law, the complaint does not identify any specific individual as the alleged perpetrator, leaving it to investigators to ascertain those responsible.

Khelif was unwittingly thrust into a global debate on gender identity and regulation in sports following her first bout when Italian opponent Angela Carini withdrew just seconds into the match, citing pain from the initial punches. False claims that Khelif was transgender or male quickly spread online, prompting the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to step in, defending her and denouncing those spreading misinformation. Khelif remarked that such misconceptions “violate human dignity.”

Earlier, Kirsty Burrows, an IOC official responsible for safeguarding and mental health, filed a complaint with French authorities, reporting death threats and online harassment following a press conference in Paris where she had defended Khelif.

The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed receipt of Burrows' complaint on 4th August, with the National Unit for the Fight Against Online Hate investigating the alleged offences, which include death threats, public incitement to violence, and cyberbullying. Under French law, if proven, these crimes could result in prison sentences ranging from two to five years and fines between 30,000 and 45,000 euros.

The International Boxing Association (IBA), which has been banned from the Olympics, disqualified Khelif and fellow boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan from the World Championships last year, citing unspecified failures in eligibility tests for women’s competition. The IOC has condemned these arbitrary sex tests, labelling them irretrievably flawed, and has consistently defended both boxers since the commencement of the Paris Games.

Experts suggest that the scrutiny directed at Khelif and Lin reflects a pattern of disproportionate attention and discrimination towards female athletes of colour concerning sex testing and false claims regarding their gender.