the serbian Novak Djokovic, number one tennis player in the world among men and whose visa to enter Australia was canceled for the second time in the last few hours, returned this Saturday to the hotel that serves as an immigration detention center in Melbourne after meeting with the lawyers representing him.
The nine-time Australian Open winner will stay until early Sunday morning in the place where undocumented immigrants are held and which is infamous for its poor hygiene and lack of comfort, before the court hearing scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in Argentina -9:30 a.m. on Sunday in Australia- which will be decisive for their permanence in the country.
The Serbian came to Hotel Park, where he was confined for the first time from Thursday 6 to Monday 10, in a procession made up of two cars, dressed in green clothes, with a cap and a chinstrap, the local newspaper said Herald Sun.
Djokovic had permission to meet with the lawyers who represent him and discuss the arguments with which they seek to appeal the decision made this Friday by the Australian Migration Minister Alex Hawke, who decided to revoke his entry permit.
The minister’s arguments
Hawke filed a 258-page document with the court alleging, among several points, that Djokovic’s presence may “lead to increased anti-vaccine sentiment in the community” which could lead to riots, like those previously recorded in Melbourne.
“I have considered the fact that Djokovic is a high-profile unvaccinated person who has publicly indicated that he opposes being vaccinated against COVID-19,” Hawke wrote in the document made public this Saturday.
“Mr Djokovic’s continued presence in Australia may lead to increased anti-vaccine sentiment generated in the Australian community, which could lead to increased civil unrest of the type previously experienced in Australia with rallies and protests.”
Chronology of a scandal
Djokovic traveled to Melbourne on January 5 from Spain thanks to a medical exemption because is not vaccinated, achieved by having recently been infected with covid-19, although upon arrival the authorities canceled his visa and detained him.
Last Monday, a court ordered the tennis player’s release after understanding that he had not been treated “fairly”, but this Friday the minister canceled the visa again and Djokovic’s lawyers in turn appealed the decision which could lead to your deportation.
The Australian Open will start next Monday and Djokovic should debut against his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, although at this juncture it is not yet known if he will be able to play the contest.
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