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Australian justice announced Monday having ordered the release of Novak Djokovic. The world number one in tennis had been refused entry to Australia, where he is to participate in the Melbourne Open, for lack of being able to provide proof of his vaccination against Covid-19. But Immigration can still revoke his visa. “I want to stay and try to participate in the Australian Open,” insisted the Serbian tennis player.
A victory for Novak Djokovic against Australian justice. Monday, January 10, the federal court ruled in favor of the world number 1 in tennis who had been denied the right to defend his title at the Australian Open for health reasons.
Judge Anthony Kelly ordered Novak Djokovic’s release to take place within 30 minutes and demanded the return of his passport and all of his travel documents. She said the government’s decision to cancel her visa was “unreasonable”.
Federal government lawyers warned the court that the immigration minister reserved the right to exercise his personal power to revoke the Serbian player’s visa.
“I want to stay and try to participate in the Australian Open”
“I want to stay and try to participate in the Australian Open,” said the Serbian tennis player on his Twitter account. “I am happy and grateful that the judge went back on canceling my visa. Despite everything that has happened, I want to stay and try to compete in the Australian Open. I have come. here to play one of the most important tournaments in front of incredible spectators, ”he wrote.
I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened,I want to stay and try to compete @AustralianOpen
I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. ???? pic.twitter.com/iJVbMfQ037— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 10, 2022
The lawyers of “Djoko”, held for five days in a center for migrants in Melbourne, affirmed, Saturday, in a document filed with the federal court that he had contracted the Covid-19 on December 16, 2021 and that he was therefore exempt from compulsory vaccine to enter the territory. Djokovic, however, attended two public events in Belgrade, without a mask, the same day and the day after this test, according to various social media posts.
During the hearing that AFP was able to follow online, Federal Judge Anthony Kelly appeared to defend the 34-year-old: “What more could this man have done?” he asked.
Recognizing to be a little “nervous”, the magistrate considered that the Serb provided evidence, emanating from “a professor and an eminently qualified doctor” concerning his request for medical exemption.
The hearing opened forty minutes late after a computer problem caused too many connections to attend the live broadcast. The “antivax” have shared, despite a ban, the link to follow it by broadcasting it live on YouTube. The judge finally continued the hearing without a live public broadcast, before restricted access, from which AFP was able to benefit, was granted.
The supported player
The Australian Open, where Djokovic aims to afford a 21e Grand Slam tournament which would place him at the top of tennis history, ahead of his two historic rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, begins in seven days and his participation depended entirely on the decision of Judge Anthony Kelly.
Djokovic attended the proceedings from the former Park Hotel, a five-story building that accommodates around 32 migrants trapped in Australia’s immigration system, some of them for years. No one is allowed in or out, except the staff.
Hours before the hearing, a pro-refugee banner was displayed on the roof and police expelled a small number of protesters.
Present at a rally in Belgrade, Djokovic’s mother, Dijana, lambasted her son’s “inhuman” conditions of detention. “He is only entitled to one lunch and one dinner, and he has no normal window, he is looking at a wall,” she told regional television, TV N1.
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said over the weekend that Serbia fully supported the champion and had held “constructive talks” with the Australian Foreign Minister. “We made sure he got gluten-free food, sports equipment, a laptop,” she told Serbian TV Pink.
Renata Voracova, in a similar situation, left Australia
The Australian tennis federation granted the player an exemption on the grounds of his infection in December, to participate in the first Grand Slam of the season, after his request was approved by two independent medical panels.
But on his arrival in Australia, on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, the federal authorities had refused him entry, considering that his grounds for exemption did not meet the conditions for entry into the territory.
According to the sportsman’s lawyers, the player was “completely confused” when he was heard for several hours on the night of January 5 to 6 at Melbourne airport. They argued in particular that he was deprived of means of communication with his entourage during his interrogation.
The Australian government insists that a recent infection only counts as an exemption for residents, not foreign nationals trying to enter the country. Djokovic “is not vaccinated”, again underline the lawyers of Australia in their conclusions made public Sunday. His request “must be refused”, they plead.
Foreigners are still banned from traveling to Australia, and those allowed to enter must be fully vaccinated or have a medical exemption.
Selected as “Djoko” after also having her visa canceled, Czech player Renata Voracova, a doubles specialist, left Australia on Saturday.
With AFP
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