The hearing before the Federal Court started in Melbourne on Sunday morning. The Australian government argues that the Serbian, non-vaccinated player against CVIV-19, constitutes a “health risk” and hears the expelling of the country, on the eve of the beginning of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year.
Le Monde with AFP
This looks like a fifth set TIE-BREAK. The ultimate judicial battle between the world number of tennis Novak Djokovic, and the Australian government started Sunday, January 16th in the Federal Court of Australia in Melbourne.
The three courts of the Court hear from 9:30 am to (0:30 in Paris) the arguments of the representatives of tennisman and those of the government. Authorized to leave the retention center where he was placed Saturday, Djokovic follows online from his lawyer’s offices the hearing that could have long-term repercussions for his career.
On the eve of the first racket shots of the Open d’Australia where “Noole” hopes to win a Grand Chelem Record, the hearing in Reading must decide if the Serbian 34 years must be immediately returned to him and prohibited Australian territory for three years, or if on the contrary he can play the tournament. In this case, he would face, from Monday in the first round, his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic (78 e global player).
In its submissions on Saturday before the Court, the Immigration Minister Alex Hawke argued that the presence of Djokovic in the country “is likely to represent a health risk for the Australian community.” According to him, she encourages “anti-vaccination feeling” and could deter Australians from being injected their recall doses, while the Omicron variant continues to spread high speed.
a visa twice. Canceled
The presence in Australia of the champion could even “cause a resurgence of civil unrest,” added the minister who, on Friday, annulled for the second time the Visa of Djokovic under his discretion, invoking “sanitary reasons” and public order “. Even though it has described the risk that Djokovic contaminates Australians from “negligible”, the minister felt that his “contempt” passed from the health rules against COVID constitutes a bad example.
Sunday morning before the Federal Court, the player’s lawyers described the investment in retention of their client and his possible expulsion of “illogical”, “irrational” and “unreasonable”.
This is the second time that the Serb is targeted by an expulsion procedure. He had been blocked upon arrival in Australia on January 5th and placed a first time in administrative detention. The player, who contracted COVID-19 in December, hoped to benefit from an exemption to enter the country without being vaccinated, but the authorities did not accept this explanation.
The Australian government has suffered a humiliating reverse on January 10 when a judge blocked the expulsion of Djokovic, restored his visa and ordered his immediate release. However, the Minister of Immigration canceled his visa for the second time Friday by virtue of his discretionary powers, and Djokovic returned Saturday morning at the Park Hotel, the austere retention center for foreigners in an irregular situation now world famous.
a hero “abuse”
In a statement released Wednesday, Djokovic had admitted to having fulfilled his entry declaration in Australia incorrectly. The player at 86 ATP titles, seen in Serbia and Spain in the two weeks preceding his arrival, contrary to what he said in the immigration form upon arrival, pleaded “the human error”.
This strumming soap opera takes place in a country whose inhabitants have endured for nearly two years from the strictest anti-covid restrictions in the world, and where elections are planned by May. The pressure has intensified around the Conservative Prime Minister Scott Morrison, accused of “incompetence” by the Labor opposition.
The Djokovic case is also followed by Serbia where “Noole” is considered as a national hero. Friday, President Aleksandar Vucic accused Australia of the “mistreating”.