The Federal Court of Australia began this Sunday to analyze an appeal filed by Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic’s lawyers against the government’s decision to cancel his visa for the second time and deport him.
The Australia’s Immigration Minister Alex Hawke argues that the presence of Djokovic, detained since Saturday in a hotel for immigrants in Melbourne and facing the possibility of being banned from entering the country for three years, may fuel the “feeling anti-vaccines” and lead to the disturbance of public order.
For its part, the defense of the Serbian tennis player of 34 years, who did not know has vaccinated against covid-18 and opposes compulsory immunization, affirms that the minister’s arguments are irrational and will harm “a man of great reputation” who has a good medical reason not to be vaccinated.
The case about the entrance to the country of the tennis player, who seeks part Participating in the Australian Open to win the tenth trophy of this championship and becoming the most awarded tennis player in history with 21 Grand Slams, coincides with a rebound of infections in the country linked to the omicron variant.
The day before, Djokovic met with his lawyers to analyze the legal strategy of the case before being transferred by the authorities to the Park Hotel, where he has already been detained between Wednesday of last week when his visa was revoked for the first time and this Monday when a court released him.
Djokovic traveled to Melbourne from Spain on January 5 with a medical exemption for not be vaccinated due to having recently been infected with covid-19 to play the tournament that begins on Monday and where he plans to face his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic in the first round .
Australia, which applied one of the toughest policies in the world against the The pandemic, which included the closure of its international borders for more than 18 months, only allows the entry of foreigners who have the complete guideline of the serum against covid -19 or with a medical exemption for very specific cases.
You can see the trial live here: