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.
