Feyisa Lilesa, the Olympic men’s marathon silver medallist, “could face death” after displaying support for a government protest in Ethiopia as he crossed the finish line.
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He repeated the gesture during the race’s medal ceremony, saying he was afraid to go back to his homeland following his protest “against the government’s attitude regarding Oromo people”, one of two main ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia will not bar runner Feyisa Lilesa from entering the country after he made an anti-government gesture upon finishing second in the Olympic marathon on Sunday, an official said.
“It is a very risky situation for the Oromo people in Ethiopia”.
Lilesa used his high profile silver medal victory to make a sign of solidarity with the Oromo people who are locked in a decades-long struggle with the government of Ethiopia.
“Oromo is my tribe”, he said.
‘If you talk about democracy they kill you. It is meant to symbolize being handcuffed by security forces.
“Though it is impossible to express a political stance at (the) Olympic Games, the athlete will be welcomed while returning home along with other members of the Ethiopian Olympic squad”, he told state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation.
Lilesa told reporters that he would discuss what to do next with family and friends. Yet state-owned TV station EBC Channel 3 blacked out the clips of Lilesa, focusing instead on the Kenyan victor Eliud Kipchoge. Their region has seen massive anti-government protests since November 2015 that activists say have left more than 400 dead.
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The protests were ignited by the government’s decision to annex some Oromia land into the capital, Addis Ababa. The plan has been abandoned, but demonstrations calling for wider freedoms have continued.
