© STRINGER
Srdjan Djokovic, father of Novak Djokovic, addressing protesters outside the Serbian Parliament in Belgrade on January 6, 2022
Novak Djokovic woke up once again this Friday morning, Orthodox Christmas Day, in a Melbourne detention center where he spent a second night after his visa was canceled, while his family organized the day before in Serbia a show of support.
Without holding back his fury, the tennis player’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, addressed a crowd gathered in Belgrade to denounce a “political witch hunt” and a “corona-fascism” calling for his son’s release.
Ten days before the start of the Australian Open (January 17-30), of which he is the three-time defending champion, Djokovic spent a second night in a cramped room at the Park Hotel in Melbourne, used by the Australian government to detain people in an irregular situation.
The “Djoker”, whose visa was canceled for lack of documents necessary to obtain a medical exemption from the vaccination obligation, will not be expelled before Monday, the date of a new hearing before a judge in Melbourne.
The building in which the world No. 1 is held suffers from a bad reputation. A fire broke out there in December, forcing his evacuation. Selected people complained on social networks, with photos to support them, of finding maggots and mold in food and in October, 21 people contracted Covid-19 there.
© ANDREJ ISAKOVIC
Srdan Djokovic using a megaphone to address the crowd outside the National Assembly of Serbia in Belgrade on January 6, 2022
“This hotel is infamous in the literal sense of the word,” said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
– “Crucified” –
In the capital Belgrade, the player’s family launched a demonstration in support of their protégé.
“Jesus was crucified and subjected to many things, but he held and is still alive among us. Novak is also crucified in the same way, he the best sportsman and man in the world. He will hold on”, estimated the father of the player.
Australian Home Secretary Karen Andrews on Friday dismissed accusations that Djokovic was being held against his will, assuring that he could return home whenever he wanted.
© William WEST
Serbian supporters outside Djokovic’s place of detention in Melbourne, Australia on January 6, 2022
“Mr. Djokovic is not being held captive in Australia. He is free to leave whenever he wishes and the border police will facilitate his departure,” she said, confirming further that two other people, players or members of a staff coming for the Australian Open, also have visa problems.
© Marco BERTORELLO
Novak Djokovic after his victory against Briton Cameron Norrie in Turin on November 19, 2021
When word of Djokovic’s presence spread, Serbian supporters, anti-vaccine activists and refugee advocates gathered outside the detention center.
Mehdi Ali, a man among about thirty refugees and asylum seekers held in the old hotel, told AFP that his favorite tennis player was sadly suffering the same fate. “The media will talk more about us, the whole world probably, which is sad, only because Djokovic would be there for a few days,” he said.
– “Reality show” –
As Serbian politicians vie with nationalist comments to defend their champion, the already struggling Australian Prime Minister faces questions about how to deal with the incident as the elections approach.
Scott Morrison, under pressure from the explosion in the number of Covid cases and the collapse of the once-effective screening system, has defended himself from revoking Djokovic’s visa at the last minute.
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“The rules are the rules and there is no special case,” he said.
But many Australians, angry at a death toll that rose to more than 70,000 infections per day after almost two years with almost no cases, see the Djokovic case as a diversion.
“This is happening as we have a major crisis going on with Omicron, and it suits the government well,” Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association, told AFP on Friday. “It’s really disturbing from a health point of view (…) we need governments that focus on the health crisis, not on stupid stuff, frankly.”
For him, the Djokovic episode is like watching “reality TV” while “Rome is on fire”.
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