A scandal has turned into a tangible scandal: The expulsion of tennis superstar Novak Djokovic from Australia is attracting wide circles. The subject has long since reached the government level. What happened in Melbourne on the night from Wednesday to Thursday? What is the latest status? A chronology of events:
Wednesday morning (CET): Djokovic posts an Instagram post and announces that he will travel to Australia with a special permit and now take part in the Australian Open. As an unvaccinated person, he needs the said permit in order to be able to enter the country at all.
11:15 p.m. local time, Melbourne: The Serb’s private jet lands at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. The superstar is not allowed to leave the plane. He was detained for half an hour because there were problems with his visa.
11:45 p.m., Melbourne: Djokovic is allowed to leave the aircraft, but is immediately separated from his (vaccinated) team and taken to an interrogation room. Authorities have doubts about the superstar’s exemption.
Thursday, 1:15 a.m., Melbourne: Australian media reports that the interrogation is ongoing. The number one in the tennis world is said to have tried to enter with a visa that does not allow medical exemptions for unvaccinated people, according to “The Age” and “The Herald”. The Border Guard then asked the Victoria government for assistance to allow the professional tennis player to enter the country. This is rejected.
8:00 p.m. (CET): Father Srdjan Djokovic speaks to the Serbian media about the scandal, which is drawing ever wider circles. He complains that his son’s cell phone was taken away and that all outside contact was denied. Novak is being held like a criminal and guarded in a room by two police officers, said Srdjan Djokovic.
5:30 am, Melbourne: Djokovic is still being interrogated by local authorities. Meanwhile it seeps through: The reason for Djokovic’s exemption is probably a Covid illness in the last six months. The Serb has withheld this from the public. However, the Australian authorities do not believe that this is even sufficient for an exemption.
10:00 p.m. (CET): What is happening at the airport in Melbourne has long been a concern of the governments of both countries. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic steps in and writes on Instagram: “I had a phone call with him and told him that all of Serbia was with him. Our authorities will take all measures to credit the harassment of the best tennis player in the world in the shortest possible time stop. In accordance with all norms of international law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth. “
8:30 a.m., Melbourne: The authorities down under have dropped the bomb and denied Djokovic the necessary visa. With that, the Serb has to leave the country again. “Non-citizens who do not have a valid visa upon entry or whose visa has been canceled will be detained and expelled from Australia,” the statement said. The lawyers immediately announce that they want to take action against the decision.
10:00 am, Melbourne: Local media report that the Australian Tennis Association has repeatedly been made aware by the authorities that a Covid disease in the last six months is not a valid reason for an exemption. The “Sydney Morning Herald” even quotes from an official letter to the Australian tennis officer Craig Tiley, which says: “People who have recovered from COVID 19 and have not received a vaccination are not considered to be fully vaccinated.” Djokovic’s appeal seems doomed to failure.
11:00 a.m., Melbourne: At 4 p.m. local time, Djokovic’s team will appear before a judge and bring the case forward. The superstar has since been quartered in a hotel and put under surveillance there. He is not allowed to leave his room. Prime Minister Morrison said again that Djokovic failed to provide officials with proof of double vaccination or an appropriate medical exemption. “Rules are rules and there are no special cases,” says Morrison.
Thursday, 4:30 a.m. (CET): Srdjan Djokovic reacts indignantly to Australia’s decision and says: “It is shameful. Deportation. I cannot talk to my son, they portray him as a criminal. I have no words for everything they did to him.”
4:00 p.m., Melbourne: According to the “AAP” court reporter Karen Sweeney, three scenarios are now possible in the coming hours. Option 1: Djokovic is allowed to stay in Melbourne until the final decision of the court on Monday. Option 2: The authorities are pressing ahead with the deportation and request the Serb to leave the country either today or tomorrow. Option 3: The authorities want to continue to expel him, but will initially take their time and weigh up their decision again.
6:10 pm, Melbourne: Rafal Nadal gives his opinion on the Djokovic case. And this is clear. Although he sympathizes with the Serb, he said: “If he wanted to, he could play in Australia without any problems. He has made his decision and everyone has the right to do so. But then there are consequences. He had known the conditions for months. The world has suffered enough, you have to get vaccinated. He’s old enough to make his own decisions, but then he has to pay the bill. All I can say is that I believe in what the experts say. And if they say we have to get vaccinated, then we have to get vaccinated. ”
6:45 pm, Melbourne: The preliminary decision has been made. The Djokovic case has been postponed by the authorities until Monday. That is how long the superstar can stay in Down Under. Until then, he is not allowed to leave the Park Hotel in Melbourne.
7.45pm, Melbourne: During the night, a photo circulated on social media that showed Novak Djokovic at the airport counter in Melbourne. Since then, the Serb has not appeared in public. In the evening (local time) the superstar showed up again. In a short video posted on Twitter, Djokovic can be seen at the hotel window.
The number one in the world greeted his fans who took up positions in front of the hotel and formed a heart with his hands to express his thanks for the support.
11:30 am: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented again on Djokovic’s situation on Thursday and reported on another phone call with the superstar. “I spoke to him again this morning. […] Prime Minister Ana Brnabic is on the phone and asks [die Behörden] about one thing: that Novak can leave the hotel before the final decision on Monday and stay in the house that he rented. Novak asked his country to do this. And it is our duty to protect our citizens. “
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