Signs of hope as Olympic athlete returns home

The Ethiopian marathon runner who made international headlines with an anti-government gesture at the Rio Olympics finish line has returned from exile after sports officials assured him he would not face prosecution. A report on the News24 site notes that Feyisa Lilesa's departure from the US came several months after a reformist Prime Minister took office and announced sweeping political reforms. Lilesa said the new government was ‘a result of the struggle by the people’ and he hoped it would address concerns after years of repression in Africa's second most populous nation. The silver medallist crossed his wrists at the finish line in 2016 in solidarity with protesters in his home region, Oromia, who, like many across Ethiopia, were demanding wider freedoms.

Full Fin24 report