Ethiopia's government vowed that an Olympic silver medallst Feysia Lilesa had nothing to fear upon returning home after staging a dramatic protest against the country's politics. Feyisa Lilesa, who finished second in the men's marathon in Rio, says he fears for his life after making a gesture against the Ethiopian government as he crossed the finish line on Sunday.
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. The athlete is seeking asylum after millions watched him holding his arms over his head, wrists crossed, in support of members of his Oromo tribe in the east African nation. He repeated the gesture during the medal ceremony.
