The Australian Government’s lawyer recalled today that Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has “a recent history” of having ignored the measures imposed by covid-19, during his argument in the virtual hearing that addresses the plenary session of the Australian Federal Court on the deportation of the player.
“Even when he was infected he went to an interview and photo shoot that included taking off his mask”said Stephen Lloyd, who represents Immigration Minister Alex Hawke in this process, referring to Djokovic’s admission that he went to an interview with French outlet L’Equipe in Belgrade on December 18 knowing he had covid.
In the virtual hearing, which is broadcast live on YouTube, the tennis player’s appeal against last Friday’s decision by the Australian Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, of cancel for the second time the visa of number one.
Hawke justified his decision as a “threat to public health and order” since their presence could fuel “anti-vaccine sentiment”, so his lawyer insisted today that Djokovic could “encourage people to emulate him” in the violation of the measures against covid.
The Immigration Minister’s lawyer insisted today that the tennis player’s presence could “encourage people to emulate him” in violation of the measures against covid.
“His connections to the cause, whether he likes it or not, are still present and their presence in Australia poses an overwhelming risk”Hawke’s lawyer said before the noon break at this hearing, which is expected to issue a decision before the start of the Australian Open, which takes place between January 17 and 30.
Earlier, Nicholas Wood, a lawyer for the 34-year-old Serbian tennis player, who is not vaccinated, insisted that the minister did not adequately weigh the impact of the decision to deport him in anti-vaccine activists, considering that the reason for canceling his visa is “illogical” and “irrational”.
Likewise, Wood pointed out that the Minister of Immigration does not have enough evidence to show that Djokovic’s presence, who is looking for his tenth title in the Australian Open and thus become the most awarded tennis player in history with 21 Grand Slams, can stoke anti-vaccine sentiment.
Wood stressed that the “only evidence” that could connect Djokovic to the anti-vaccine protests is an article by the British media BBC about the anger among anti-vaccine activists by the Australian Government’s measures to cancel his visa.
“Not a single line of evidence in the material presented to the minister provided any specific, logical or evidentiary basis for the proposition that the mere presence of Djokovic himself – not the cancellation of his visa and his expulsion – could in some way promote anti-vaccination sentiment”, attacked the lawyer.
Djokovic traveled to Melbourne on January 5 with a medical exemption for not being vaccinated, having recently been infected with covid-19, although upon arrival the Immigration authorities canceled his visa and detained him until his release on Monday by court order, considering that he was not treated “fairly”.
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