Djokovic, here’s the interrogation with the border police

Details emerge about the night Novak Djokovic arrived in Australia, January 6, and the treatment he was given played a major role in Judge Paul Kelly’s ruling in his favor. The court, in fact, released a complete transcript of his conversations with border force personnel through the classic formal “interviews”.

Seven interviews

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There were seven in total, and the documents show how the cops addressed the player, creating a state of growing confusion and agitation in him. As Djokovic then wrote in his own hand in an “affidavit”, a complaint in turn published on the police website, the dialogue was interrupted 6 or 8 times because the officer said he had to speak to his superior. Nole was also asked to turn off his mobile phone and put it in his bag, and only then was he allowed to go into the corridor to rest on a sofa ”Here are some transcripts of those interviews.

First interview: 12.21 am on January 6th

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QUESTIONER: Thank you. So what were the reasons you traveled to Australia today?

DJOKOVIC: I am a professional tennis player and the main reason I come to Australia is to attend the Australian Open in Melbourne, Victoria.

QUESTIONER: Are you vaccinated against Covid 19?

DJOKOVIC: I’m not vaccinated.

QUESTIONER: Thank you. Have you ever had Covid?

DJOKOVIC: Yes, twice, in June 2020, I recently tested positive for a PCR test on December 16, 2021. I also have the documents to confirm this. QUESTIONER: Thank you. I’ll just make a photocopy of those documents.

Interview no. 2 hours 00.35

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POLICEMAN: So for the medical exemption you received, did you provide documentation?

DJOKOVIC: Yes, we have provided the documents.

POLICEMAN: So you know what kind of documents were provided?

DJOKOVIC: Well, I don’t have the printed documents with me, but I can try to find them electronically, we have emailed an independent medical panel that has been selected by the Australian Federal Government to review medical exemption claims.

POLICEMAN: So he was selected by the federal government?

DJOKOVIC: Yes. When it came to my attention, there were two medical panels, one was federal and the other was linked to the state of Victoria and Tennis Australia. And I might be wrong for the second, I’m not 100 per 100 sure but I can check.

POLICEMAN: Yes, no, that’s fine. So you have some form of documentation.

DJOKOVIC: Yes. This is the visa that was granted. This is the letter from Tennis Australia.

POLICEMAN: Okay, so this letter here is more or less about a review panel from Tennis Australia, isn’t it about the federal government? But are you really sure?

DJOKOVIC: Yes (…). I actually got the emails from them with permission. I have an email, actually my agent has the email, so I mean I can ask him to provide it to you electronically by email, if you need this additional information, because they told me this would be enough for review.

POLICEMAN: Okay. So in case we need it, yes I will definitely let you know but not at the moment.

Interview no. 3: 00.46 am

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DJOKOVIC: Australian Open is managed by Tennis Australia, my communication was directed to them because that was the procedure (…), they informed me that this was the way to do it. And so I provided all my PCR tests, positive and negative, my antibodies and some additional information and then they sent it to the independent medical panel in Victoria (…) then, as a result of that, I was granted access to Australia with a medical exemption authorization. This is the whole story. And I’m checking if there is anything else regarding the government but as I understood earlier, the Victorian state government has to approve.

POLICEMAN: It’s absolutely fine, but it’s like you [non udibile] I came to Australia and is governed by the federal government.

DJOKOVIC: So. No, we haven’t received any emails from the federal government. This is what we got from the Australian Open medical team, because they are the organizers of the event, so this is what we got.

Interview no. 4: 3.55 hours

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POLICEMAN: Now, Novak, based on the information you gave us … I will only let you know that I intend to consider canceling your visa (…).

DJOKOVIC: I don’t understand, are you canceling my visa?

POLICEMAN: This is a warning. So once I have notified you of this notice I will give you 20 minutes – or if you need more time you can request it – to provide us with the reasons why we should not cancel your visa.

DJOKOVIC: I have provided all the documents that Tennis Australia and the Victorian government have asked me to do in the last three to four weeks, this is what we are doing. My agent and I have had constant communication with Tennis Australia and the Victorian state government, the medical panel. (…). I applied, they approved, I really don’t know what else you want me to tell you. I have nothing else, I got here thanks to these documents, otherwise I would not have been allowed to enter. I just don’t understand why you don’t allow me to enter your country, I just mean, I waited four hours and still can’t figure out what the main reason is – like – lack of what documents?

POLICEMAN: (…) This is the procedure (…). You can give me an explanation in the time frame we give you, the 20 minutes we have available.

DJOKOVIC: So you’re legally giving me 20 minutes to try and provide additional information that I don’t have? At 4 in the morning? I mean, you put me in a very awkward position, at four in the morning I can’t call the director of Tennis Australia, I can’t engage with anyone from the Victoria State Government through Tennis Australia. It’s just that you put me in a very uncomfortable position. I don’t know what else I can tell you. I mean, everything I’ve been asked to do is here. And I wouldn’t be sitting here in front of you if you didn’t abide by all the rules and regulations set by your government. I mean, it’s kind of shocking to me that you give me the notice of my visa cancellation based on what? You give me 20 minutes to do what? I tell you right away that I have nothing else to say to you. If you can, let’s wait until eight in the morning and then I can call Tennis Australia and then we can try to figure it out. But right now? They are all sleepy, I don’t know. I mean, I just got in at 1am, I don’t know what else I can do right now. It just doesn’t make any sense. I mean, I’ve done everything possible. Right now I can call my agent. You told me not to use the phone, so I’m not communicating with anyone, nobody knows what’s going on. (…)

POLICEMAN: So I just read you this notice of intention to cancel under Section 116 of the Migration Act 1958. I’ll sign it here. Sign it at 4.11. Do you want to sign it?

DJOKOVIC: Well, I wouldn’t want to sign this document unless I have some answers to my questions. (…)

DJOKOVIC: I really don’t understand why you don’t have the information that if you have been positive for the past six months and have enough antibodies and a negative test, all of which I have provided, you are allowed to enter the country. I am really confused, because this is what I have received from the Official Tennis Australia and Government of Victoria medical panels for the past three weeks. I don’t really know what to do at 4am. If you allow me to turn on my phone and make a call to my agent and try to contact the people at Tennis Australia. Because it’s 4 in the morning, of course everyone is asleep, but that’s the only thing I can do right now, because I really don’t have any other paperwork to provide you.

POLICEMAN: Okay, we’re more than willing to give you more time, as you know, I’ll talk to my bosses. [Djokovic ha avuto accesso al suo telefono poco dopo]

Interview no. 6: 5.20 am

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POLICEMAN: He warned me that you need rest until 8-8.30. And that’s when you could talk to your lawyer again and get some more information.

QUESTIONER: I have spoken to my supervisors and they are more than happy to …

DJOKOVIC: Okay, great.

QUESTIONER: So any other questions?

DJOKOVIC: No more questions for now.

Interview no. 7: 6.07 am

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POLICEMAN 2: So you said you don’t want to proceed with the interview now?

DJOKOVIC: I would like to postpone it to 8.30 if possible, yes.

POLICEMAN 2: Okay, you also said earlier that you didn’t have anything else you could add. If you don’t respond, a decision may be made based on the information that is right now at your fingertips.

DJOKOVIC: Ok, so you want to make a decision now?

POLICEMAN 2: Yes, it is possible, yes, the decision can be made based on the information we already have.

DJOKOVIC: Yes, I know you will cancel my visa, of course. (…). Yes, I mean because I am not allowed in, so I would just like to wait another two – three hours to see if they can do something or not, that’s the idea.

POLICEMAN 2: Okay. So look, if your visa was canceled you would not be here, you would go to a hotel in the city.

DJOKOVIC: Okay, so I would go to a hotel?

POLICEMAN 2: Yes, in the city.

DJOKOVIC: But that hotel? Is it like a Covid hotel or is it what it is?

POLICEMAN 2: No, he is, I don’t know his name (…). I guess the department entered into a contract with the hotel to allow people who have been refused entry to the country to stay at that hotel.

DJOKOVIC: Okay. So does that mean I can take my suitcases with me or?

POLICEMAN 2: Yes, you can, but you probably wouldn’t have full access to them. A little over an hour later Djokovic’s visa decision was formally read. He was then taken into custody and taken to Carlton’s Park Hotel where he spent the weekend.