Novak Djokovic towards expulsion from Australia. The three federal judges called to judge the tennis player’s case have expressed themselves in favor of the decision by which the government canceled the visa of the 34-year-old Serbian tennis player
. The 3 judges who presided over the hearing – James Allsop, Anthony Besanko and David O’Callaghan – spoke unanimously.
Djokovic’s visa was formally canceled yesterday by the Immigration Minister, Aex Hawke. The 34-year-old from Belgrade, no vax and landed in the country with a covid vaccine exemption, spent the night at the Park Hotel, the facility for irregular immigrants where he was confined after arriving in Melbourne, when his visa was issued. judged to be irregular in checks at the airport.
Pending the epilogue of the story, the Australian Open had released the program of the first day: Djokovic, paired with fellow countryman Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round, should in theory play in the evening program on Monday 17 January at the Rod Laver Arena.
In the hearing, Djokovic’s lawyers called Minister Hawke’s decision “irrational”According to the government member, the tennis player’s stay in the country could fuel the no vax orientation in Australia. “It is irrational to contemplate just this prospect,” said attorney Nick Wood and without considering that “an anti-vax sentiment could be the consequence of coercive action by the state with visa cancellation and deportation.” Hawke’s decision, according to the lawyer, cannot be motivated by the belief that “the presence of Djokovic ‘could constitute’ a significant risk to public health” in Australia. In such a context, the cancellation of the visa would become an “irrational reaction” to the athlete’s position towards vaccination. Among other things, according to Wood, Djokovic would never have spoken out against the vaccine and, if he did, “he did it in a scrupulously private way”.
The government, through its lawyers, has reiterated the closing position. Attorney Stephen Lloyd again stressed the effect that Djokovic’s stay could have. The Serbian, who said he was healed from the covid in mid-December, had a disrespectful behavior in the days following the infection, as evidenced by content published on his social channels. “The minister felt that Djokovic’s presence in Australia would lead people to imitate his apparent lack of respect for security measures,” Lloyd’s words. “People refer to high-level athletes to promote ideas and causes. I’m not saying that” Djokovic “is supporting a cause. But his connection with that cause, whether intentional or not, is still evident. presence in Australia could pose a risk “.
