Algerian boxing champion Eman Khelif, who won the gold medal in the 66kg category at the Paris Olympics, filed a complaint in Paris on Friday for aggravated cyber-harassment.
This comes after Eman was the subject of controversy over her sexual identity, her lawyer Nabil Boudi announced on Saturday.
"After having just won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, boxer Imane Khelif has decided to fight a new battle: the battle for justice, dignity and honor," Boudi said in a statement.
He pointed out that she "filed a complaint on Friday for aggravated cyber-harassment with the Center for Combating Cyber-Hate of the Paris Public Prosecutor's Office."
He continued: "The criminal investigation will determine who started this racist and discriminatory campaign against women, but it will also focus on those who fueled this digital lynching without trial."
For him, "the unfair harassment to which the boxing champion was subjected will remain the biggest mark of these Olympic Games."
On Friday evening, Khelif won the 66kg final at Roland Garros, the tennis bastion turned boxing arena.
She defeated second-seeded Chinese Liu Yang 5-0 by unanimous decision, becoming the first Algerian and African boxer to win gold at the Olympic Games.
Three years after her participation in the Tokyo Olympics, where she did not cause any controversy, the 25-year-old finds herself in Paris in the middle of a controversy over her gender identity, against the backdrop of a dispute between the International Olympic Committee and the International Boxing Federation.
According to the International Federation, Khelif failed a test aimed at determining her gender. For the IOC, her eligibility is not in doubt, as she was allowed to participate in women's fights.
On social media, the Algerian boxer has become the victim of a campaign of hate and misinformation tinged with racism.
Iman Khelif told the media on Friday after winning the gold medal: "I am a strong woman and I have special powers. From the ring, I sent a message to those who were against me."
She continued: "I was subjected to attacks and a fierce campaign, and this is the best response I can give. The answer has always been in the ring."
She stressed: "I am fully qualified to participate. I am a woman like any other woman. I was born a woman, I lived as a woman, and I competed as a woman."
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