Lawyers for the world tennis number 1 said on Saturday (January 8) that the player had received assurances from the Australian Immigration Department before his arrival in the country. The Serb justifies his exemption from vaccination with a Covid-19 infection dating from mid-December – a period in which he has appeared at public events without a mask.
The case of Novak Djokovic never ceases to bounce back in the Australian press. Placed in detention in a hotel in Melbourne, following the rejection of his visa on the night of Wednesday 5 to Thursday 6 January, the Serbian tennis champion continues to proclaim his good faith through the voice of his lawyers.
According to a document filed on Saturday in federal court, the world number 1 – who was traveling to the capital of the state of Victoria to participate in the Australian Open from January 17 to 30 – justifies his exemption from vaccination (normally required to enter the country) by a recent infection with Covid-19. According to this document thatwas able to consult the daily The Age, the Serbian player was “Tested positive on December 16”.
Still according to his lawyers, “Nole”, as his fans call him, would have “Received a certificate of exemption from the Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Tennis Federation on December 30”. A derogation whose validity would have been confirmed to him by “a letter from the Australian Immigration Department a few days before his arrival in Melbourne, confirming that [le joueur] met the criteria for entry into Australia without quarantine on the grounds that he had been infected with Covid in December for the second time”.
Support rally
According to documents this time from the organizers of the Australian Open, which was also able to consult The Age, “The players had to submit their exemption requests to a committee of independent experts by 10 December at the latest. This would have excluded the world number 1 from the tournament, given that he had not yet tested positive for Covid-19 on that date ”.
The case of the Serbian, who had so far remained silent on his vaccination and immune status, must be re-examined Monday by a judge in Melbourne. A handful of his supporters gathered on Friday January 7, Orthodox Christmas Day, in front of his hotel, where migrants are also assigned while awaiting a residence permit.
Instagram and Facebook accounts taken to witness
As noted The Age, “one day following the date he claims to have tested positive, [Novak Djokovic] posted photos on social media showing him during a ceremony organized by the Serbian government on the occasion of the creation of a stamp with his effigy”.
On the same day, he allegedly attended an awards ceremony for young tennis players in Belgrade. Many media have relayed a post from the Serbian Tennis Federation Facebook account dated December 17, which shows photos of the player without a mask.
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