Djokovic begins court battle to stay in Australia after visa revoked
Global News
Novak Djokovic, 34, has been held in an immigration detention hotel alongside long-term asylum seeker detainees since Thursday due to his vaccination status.
The judge hearing Novak Djokovic’s legal challenge to the Australian government’s decision to revoke the star tennis player’s entry visa raised concerns on Monday about the Serbian’s treatment after he was detained on arrival.
Judge Anthony Kelly said it appeared Djokovic had received the required medical exemption from COVID-19 vaccination before he traveled to Melbourne for the Australian Open tennis tournament and presented evidence of that when he landed on Wednesday evening.
“The point that I am somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?” Kelly said as Djokovic’s lawyers outlined their case challenging the government’s decision to revoke his visa.
Djokovic’s plight has been closely followed around the world, creating political tensions between Belgrade and Canberra and sparking heated debate over national vaccination mandates.
At risk is the world number one’s shot at winning a record 21st Grand Slam at the Australian Open, the year’s first major, which starts in Melbourne on Jan. 17.
Djokovic, 34, has been held in an immigration detention hotel alongside long-term asylum seeker detainees since Thursday. He was permitted to attend his lawyers’ chambers for the virtual hearings but has not been seen in public since he arrived in Australia.
His lawyers argue that a recent COVID-19 infection qualified Djokovic for the medical exemption from a requirement for non-Australian citizens entering the country to be double vaccinated.
The Australian government, however, says non-citizens had no right of guaranteed entry to Australia, questioned his claimed exemption and stressed that even Djokovic wins the court action, it reserved the right to detain him again and remove him from the country.