Feyisa Lilesa, the protest Ethiopian marathoner, who caught the world’s attention after making a political gesture against the killings of the Oromo people by his home government arrived in the US, the country he hopes will grant him asylum on Friday morning.

Lilesa crossed his arms after winning the silver medal in the Men’s marathon on the last day of the Rio Olympics, an act that put his life at risk. He did not travel back home with the rest of the Olympics team, fearing reprisal from the government.

The ‘X’ gesture is widely used by members of his Oromia community who have been involved in violent clashes with the government.

However, it is not clear whether he landed in US alongside his wife and two children.

“If I go back to Ethiopia, the government will kill me. If not, they will charge me,” Sports Illustrated quoted Lilesa after the final in the Brazilian capital.

The claims were refuted by the government at that time, saying that Lilesa would get a hero’s welcome for winning the nation a medal at the Olympics.

The decision not to return to Ethiopia despite winning a medal is a sign of the political intolerance that the government has for those perceived to oppose it.

Lilesa’s arrival comes days after a crowd-funding initiative raised $150,000 towards the end of last month. The funds were meant to help the marathoner acquire legal services to push for asylum in the US and support his family back in Ethiopia, BBC reported.

The global campaign to help Lilesa has attracted people from different countries.

The Ethiopian marathoner comes from the Oromo community, the biggest ethnic group in the Horn of Africa nation.

Members of the tribe have clashed with security forces since November, last year. At least 400 people have been killed since the violent clashes began including at least 14 security officers, according to Human Rights Watch, Newsweek reported.

The protests were triggered by a government plan to increase the administrative borders of Addis Ababa, the capital into neighboring Oromia region. The plan was abandoned in January.

However, the clashes increased as the Oromo people protested against economic and political marginalization by the minority Tigrayan tribe.

Amhara tribe, the second biggest ethnic group also joined in the protests mid, this year.

Since Lilesa arrived in the US, the Ethiopian government has not issued a statement. Lilesa is expected to address the press next week in Washington DC, Quartz Africa reported.