Olympian Feyisa Lilesa listed in FP's 2016 Top 100 global thinkers

By Foreign Policy
December 13, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC - Ethiopian Olympic medalist Feyisa Lilesa has been listed as one of the 100 global thinkers in 2016.

The following story was released by the Foreign Policy:

"Given the fact that the Olympic Charter bans political propaganda, demonstrations are a rarity at the games. Nevertheless, Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa snubbed the rulebook in order to call attention to the brutal actions of his country&rsquo;s security forces. As the marathoner approached the finish line in second place, he crossed his arms over his head - an attention-grabbing gesture to show solidarity with his Oromo tribe. In the weeks before the race, the Ethiopian government had cracked down on protests by the embattled indigenous group and killed dozens. &ldquo;If I would&rsquo;ve taken my medal and went back to Ethiopia, that would&rsquo;ve been the biggest regret of my life,&rdquo; Lilesa, who hasn&rsquo;t yet returned home, told the Associated Press. &ldquo;I wanted to be a voice for a story that wasn&rsquo;t getting any coverage.&rdquo;</p>

CBC RADIO: What was reported then

On the final day of the Rio Olympics, Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesabecame a silver medalist. Lilesa crossed the finish line with arms raised above his head, and crossed over each other, as in an "X" — a political gesture instantly recognized in Ethiopia.
Lilesa says the symbol of defiance was a peaceful protest against how the Oromo people of Ethiopia have been treated by the government. Close to 100 people were slaughtered in a protest just weeks before the Olympics.
Since his protest on the world's stage, Lilesa tells The Current's Anna Maria Tremonti through a translator that he's worried about his safety if he were to return home.
"Having done this, going back to Ethiopia means suicide. They will kill me. If not killing, they will imprison me and torture me," says Lilesa who is still in Rio.
Lilesa feels it is important to stand up publicly and expose the repression of the Oromo people by the Ethiopian government. He tells Tremonti that "people are dying, being killed, being sent to refugee camps… many thousands were in the red sea running away from the country. People were having peaceful demonstrations but being killed."