Russia and Algeria have dealt diplomatic blows to the UN Security Council after Russia raised a gender dispute in Olympic boxing during a session of the body focused on women, peace and security.

Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky accused Western countries of monopolizing the Olympic movement and “aggressively” imposing an LGBT agenda on the rest of the world, which he said violates women’s rights and dignity.

“At the Paris Olympics, female boxers are being publicly subjected to violence by athletes who have previously failed hormone tests by the International Boxing Federation and who, according to the federation and common sense, are men,” he said. “This is absolutely disgusting.”

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-ting have been disqualified from the 2023 World Championships after the International Boxing Association (IBA) announced that a sex chromosome test had declared both of them ineligible to participate.

They both competed in the Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stripped the IBA of its status as the sport’s governing body in 2023 and took control of the organization of boxing in Paris. The IOC says they are women.

According to the IOC, the IBA is financially opaque and has been compromised by its ties to the Russian leadership.

A senior Algerian diplomat, Toufik Koudri, strongly rejected Polyanskiy’s comments.

“The courageous boxer Imane Khelif was born a woman. She experienced her childhood, upbringing and youth as a woman. She practiced sport as a fully-fledged woman,” he told the 15-member council.

Koudri added: “There is not the slightest doubt about this, except for those who have a vague political agenda.”