Feyisa Lilesa protests, fears retribution from Ethiopian government
Ethiopian marathon runner Feyisa Liles protested his government at the Olympics on Sunday. Now he fears retribution.
Feyisa Lilesa headed towards the finish line of the Rio Olympic Marathon Sunday morning, hands thrown above his head in an X. At the time, it seemed like an innocuous enough celebration from an athlete about to win a silver medal. It was anything but for the 26-year-old runner who has represented Ethiopia on the international stage since 2008. That brief moment on the world’s largest stage has Lilesa fearing for his life.
Lilesa is a member of the Oromo tribe, the largest ethnic group in the East African nation of 94 million. While Ethiopia is typically viewed as a well-developed, stable nation, it has been anything but of late. The country is controlled by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, primarily composed of members of the Tigrayan ethnic group. Largely outnumbered by other tribes, the EPRDF has a tenuous grasp on power.
As the Oromos grow weary of Tigrayan control, protests have erupted over the past year, peaceful in nature. The repressive regime has not responded in kind, striking back with military force. Barely two weeks ago, on the eve of the Opening Ceremonies in Rio, 97 protesters were gunned down according to Amnesty International. Since last November, over 400 people have been killed and tens of thousands jailed according to Human Rights Watch.
This systemic, state-sponsored brutality is what Lilesa raised his “X” against as he crossed the finish line. Imagine having to don the jersey of a nation that has put members of your own family into jail for utilizing one of the most basic human rights.
"“[The] Ethiopian government [is] killing my people. So wherever I stand, [I stand] with Oromo protest anywhere because Oromo is my tribe. At this time, any people, all my relatives in prison, in prison. Daily I worry, I worry…If you talk, you write [about the protest], they kill you. So I stand with Oromo protest anywhere,” Lilesa said."
His words, and the potential repercussions from the government are even more chilling in light of the fact that Lilesa has a wife and two children at home. He did not know whether they were safe or not, and his own future is in jeopardy. It is doubtful that he will ever return home to Ethiopia while the current party is in power. Still, he felt he had to speak out, or risk becoming a government puppet.
"“When you get freedom, you support only the government,” Lilesa said. “In America, Europe, Germany, England, demonstrations [are ok].”"
The Ethiopian runner gave a lengthy interview with US-based running website, LetsRun after the official press conference. Video was not allowed at the IOC presser, but Lilesa was willing to speak on camera after leaving the media platform.
The Ethiopian government has issued a statement that Lilesa will receive a “heroic welcome” when he returns home. With his comments reaching a global audience, Lilesa has likely become too prominent a figure to be secretly jailed or executed as was his fear.