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I'd like to clarify the origin of the accusations against #ImaneKhelif because I don't think most people realize where they came from. The vitriolic mix of of misogynist, transphobic and racist insults against the Algerian athlete started days before the match, largely on Italian papers belonging to far-right politicians and businessmen. Here's a few examples from late July (English translation of the titles is in the alt text). 1/8
A screenshot from an article from Italian right-wing newspaper "La Verità". The title says "In the gender Olympic games an Algerian man will throw punches at an Italian woman". In the original Italian the adjective "Algerian" uses the masculine form which is why I translated it as "an Algerian man".
A screenshot of an article from Italian right-wing newspaper "Il Giornale". The title says: "Olympic Games, trans boxers will be able to fight against women."
A screenshot of an article from Italian right-wing newspaper "Il Giornale". The title says: "A boxer who is biologically a man is part of the women league. Woke delirium at the Olympic games". Note that the word "woke" is used in the Italian title as-is, having been adopted in the language by Italian right-wing politicians. The same politicians who often rile against the use of foreign words in Italian.
#imanekhelif
This entry was edited (3 months ago)
in reply to Gabriele Svelto

Gabriele Svelto
Gabriele Svelto
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One of these papers - "La Verità" - is directed by Maurizio Belpietro, a "journalist" who worked for several papers belonging to the Berlusconi family and who was condemned several times for publishing false and insulting claims against politicians, artists, minority groups and whatnot. He has a long history of racism, mysogyny and homophobia and has recently added transphobia to the collection. 2/8
A picture of Italian journalist Maurizio Belpietro. A middle-aged white man with short, almost white hair and a dark grey "gessato" suite, a white shirt and a black tie.
This entry was edited (3 months ago)
in reply to Gabriele Svelto

Gabriele Svelto
Gabriele Svelto
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The other is "Il Giornale", a paper controlled by the Berlusconi family that also has a long history of fabricating false accusations and spreading racist, homophobic and transphobic disinformation. 3/8
in reply to Gabriele Svelto

Gabriele Svelto
Gabriele Svelto
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In addition to these, a number of similar articles in English appeared in Russian-linked fake online newspapers, some of which have been registered only a few months ago. I won't be linking them but they're easy to find, a search for the athlete name will turn several articles from before the match accusing Imane Khelif of "being a man" on websites with names that are meant to sound like those of actual newspapers. 4/8
in reply to Gabriele Svelto

Gabriele Svelto
Gabriele Svelto
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This stuff was quickly picked up on Twitter/X by Italian far-right and Russian disinformation networks that amplified their content and eventually reached Elon Musk. Musk felt obliged to share them even more widely. Italian right-wing parties have had long ties to Putin's regime, so it's completely unsurprising to see them spread the same disinformation. 5/8
A picture of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin talking to former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
A picture of Italian far-right politician Matteo Salvini together with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
in reply to Gabriele Svelto

Gabriele Svelto
Gabriele Svelto
• •
Which brings us to the reason why this stuff was brought up in the first place: Italy's far-right government is running into trouble, being completely incapable of running the country, and has been isolated within the EU, even managed to fight against other European right-wing parties. This fall they'll probably have to enact large budget cuts which will be deeply unpopular, so they're trying to change the public discourse to *anything* that is not governance. 6/8
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