Novak Djokovic threatened with expulsion by Australian authorities

The number one of the global tennis, arrived in the country Wednesday to participate in the Australian Open, saw its annulled visa. The authorities reproach him for not being vaccinated against CVIV-19.

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The number one of the world tennis, Novak Djokovic, has been held, since Thursday, January 6 in the morning, in a Melbourne hotel that also serves as a detention center for asylum seekers. His visa was canceled after he has “failed to provide the appropriate evidence” to enter the Island continent, “said the Minister of Health in the morning, Greg Hunt. But the athlete, who had brought a legal action against this decision, will not be expelled before Monday, dates from a new hearing to rule on his situation, said Thursday a government lawyer, Christopher Tran. The Serbian had arrived on the spot the night before.

Only people with a complete vaccination scheme are allowed to cross the country’s borders. Tuesday, the athlete had obtained a “medical exemption” within the framework of the Open of Australia, which must be held from 17 to 30 January in Melbourne, in the State of Victoria. But the criteria selected by the two panels of medical experts – established by the Australian Tennis Federation and by the Victoria Ministry of Health to study the requests for exemption filed by the players in order to participate in the competition – were not not the same as those of the federal authorities, responsible for borders.

“The rules are the rules”

In this case, Novak Djokovic is supported by Serbia. “In accordance with all standards of public international law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth,” the President of the Republic, Aleksandar Vucic, who accused Australia ” bullying “. Critics immediately rejected by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “The rules are the rules, and in particular when it comes to the borders”, hammered the elected Conservative, before specifying that his Government had informed, in November 2021, the organizers of the Open than a contamination. COVID-19 within six months preceding the competition could not justify an exemption. According to the Australian media, this is this criterion that would have allowed the tennis player to receive a passes.

Anyway, voices quickly came up to denounce a “political” decision that would be Victim Novak Djokovic, notoriously hostile to vaccination. If the circuit star was not the only player to benefit from a derogation, he would be the only one to have been blocked at the border. Tuesday, the announcement of his coming, after several weeks of uncertainty and polemics, provoked the IRE of Australians.

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/Media reports.