Feyisa Lilesa refutes Hailemariam’s claim that gesture in Rio was a stunt by opposition groups

Feyisa Lilesa

ESAT News (September 23, 2016)

Marathon silver medalist at Rio Olymics, known worldwide for his protest gesture against a brutal regime in his home country, Feyisa Lilesa, refutes a claim by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn that the athlete’s gesture was a stunt orchestrated by opposition elements based in the US.

In an exclusive interview with ESAT, Feyisa said he was the only person responsible for his actions and he is not someone who could easily be swayed by other groups with a political agenda.

The Prime Minister on Wednesday told Foreign Policy that “he strongly believes that groups of anti-government Ethiopians based in the United States convinced the athlete to use the Summer Games as a protest venue.” Hailemariam also accused that members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) were behind the Feyisa’s protest.

“I am not like him (the Prime Minister) who could simply take instructions from others in such matters. May be the Prime Minister is a puppet who take instructions from other forces behind him, but not me,” Feyisa said responding to Hailemariam.

“I am neither a supporter nor an opponent of the OLF,” Feyisa said and added that his protest was based on his own personal observation of the atrocities committed by the regime in Ethiopia. “People are being killed in my hometown where I grew up.”

Feyisa said one of the prisoners killed in the recent massacre at the Qilinto federal prison was his friend.

“I am not controlled by other people like him (Hailemariam). He may be a yes man. Not me. I am a person with feelings and convictions. I am nobody’s lapdog.”

Speaking about other athletes who followed suit after him showing protest gestures at international competitions, Feyisa said there is more to come as the athletes fear the regime no more.