Ethiopian athlete protests against government in Rio

Ethiopian athlete Feyisa Lilesa who came second in the just concluded Olympic Games men’s marathon has claimed his life is in danger.

Lilesa clocked the 42 Kilometre race with a hand gesture against his country’s government .

The runner crossed his arms above his head as he finished the event as a protest against the Ethiopian government’s crackdown on political dissent.

Feyisa Lilesa just won a silver medal for Ethiopia. Then he protested his government's killing of the Oromo people. pic.twitter.com/jikV9VwIKo

— Kevin Sieff (@ksieff) August 21, 2016

The gesture is popularly made by the Oromo people who have been undergoing brutal police crackdowns.

Since Lelisa made these revelations, a crowdfunding campaign has been set up to help him.

Meanwhile, the government has said it will treat the athlete as a hero and not arrest him because of his political views.

According to human right groups, security forces in the East African country have killed scores of people in recent weeks.

The country has been undergoing a wave of anti-government unrest in Oromia and Amhara.

AFP