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Novak Djokovic’s online hearing to stay in Australia opened on Monday, after a slight delay due to a computer glitch. The world tennis number 1, still detained at the Melbourne detention center, says he was exempt from vaccination and could enter the country after contracting Covid-19 in December.
The suspense remains for the world of tennis. Gathered online, the federal court is looking, Monday, January 10, on Novak Djokovic’s visa twists and turns. The world number 1 was denied the right to defend his title at the Australian Open for health reasons.
The lawyers of “Djoko”, who has been detained for five days in a center for migrants in Melbourne, said on Saturday in a document filed with federal court thathe contracted Covid-19 on December 16, 2021 and that he was therefore exempt from compulsory vaccination 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 which AFP was able to follow online, Federal Judge Anthony Kelly appeared to be defending the 34-year-old, which does not, however, prejudge his final decision as Australia’s lawyers must also present their arguments. “What more could this man have done?” Asked the judge.
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. Antivaxes 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
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 depends 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 that she had had “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 compete 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 in Australia, and those who are allowed in must be fully vaccinated or have 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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