The 27-year-old athlete, who is an ethnic Oromo, made headlines last year after he crossed his arms over his head as he passed the finish line in the marathon race at the Rio 2016 Olympics. The gesture is a symbol of resistance Oromo people widely used during anti-government protests in Ethiopia in 2016.
Making up 34.4 percent of the country’s 102 million people, the Oromo are Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group. The Ethiopian government is dominated by the Tigray minority, who make up 6.2 percent of the total population.
