Algerian-French journalist Djaffer Aït Aoudia announced he will pursue legal action against Olympic boxer Imane Khelif following claims by her legal team that his reporting on her medical condition was “fake news.”
“It’s fake news? Prove it in court,” Aoudia responded, challenging Khelif’s team to defend their allegations in a legal setting.
The controversy stems from Aoudia’s recent reporting, which revealed medical documents from French and Algerian experts indicating Khelif has XY chromosomes and a rare genetic condition known as 5-alpha reductase deficiency. According to the medical report, physical examination confirmed the presence of internal testicles and a lack of traditionally female reproductive organs.
“This enzymatic abnormality mainly affects boys (‘never girls’, according to the specialists we interviewed), preventing the normal development of their sexual organs. At birth, male babies are presented with a blind vaginal pouch and, in the absence of a good diagnosis, they are often assigned a female identity,” Aoudia wrote in his original reporting.
The revelations have sparked intense debate within the sporting community, particularly following Khelif’s recent Olympic gold medal victory. The International Boxing Association (IBA) had previously disqualified Khelif from competition, with her coach Georges Cazorla acknowledging “chromosomal issues” and confirming the use of testosterone-suppressing medication.
The situation has drawn attention from prominent figures, including Marshi Smith, co-founder of the Independent Council on Women’s Sport, who stated: “The IOC and the Algerian Olympic Committee are complicit in endorsing male violence against women under the guise of public entertainment on the world’s largest sports stage. They stood by as women were subjected to physical assault for spectacle, stripped of safety, fairness, and their lifetime achievements.”
