Novak Djokovic was transferred again to the immigration detention center in Australia
Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, whose visa was revoked for the second time on Friday, was transferred to a hotel serving as an immigration detention center in Melbourne on Saturday after meeting with lawyers representing him.
The Balkan athlete arrived at the Park Hotel, where he had already been detained when his entry permit was revoked for the first time, wearing a green tracksuit and a face mask, as confirmed by the Australian media outlet The Age. At the same time, they indicated that Nole seemed serene and calm.
Djokovic was allowed to meet this morning with the lawyers who represent him for a period of four hours and discuss the arguments with which they seek to appeal the decision made yesterday by the Australian Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, who decided to revoke the entry permit of Djokovic. At the moment, the conversations between the Balkan and his legal representatives that lasted several hours have not transpired.
Around 2:45 p.m. local time (03:45 GMT, Friday) two vehicles left the lawyers’ office, and in one of them was a man dressed in green clothes and covering his face and ears with a cap. in the presence of the media.
Less than an hour later, local media captured Djokovic’s entrance to the hotel used by Immigration. A small group of pro-refugee protesters camped outside the gates of the compound with banners calling for the release of asylum seekers detained at the facility.
It must be remembered that in an article published by The Guardian last October, they reported that the staff working at the hotel and the detainees denounced that it was an “incubator” for COVID-19. In that month, 22 of the 46 occupants tested positive. Some were medicated by the nursing staff. Those who needed medical attention were taken to the hospital and returned to the hotel once they were discharged.
For his part, in the first arrest of the number one in the ATP world ranking, from the Serbian press there was great anger at the accommodation conditions imposed on Djokovic. The Telegraf newspaper described the site as “horrible” and charged harshly against the conditions in which its occupants are. “The horror hotel where Novak is staying has a horrible history, a deadly wave spread from there,” they pointed out from the home country of the number one in the world.
The athlete will spend the night in this center, where undocumented immigrants have also been held for years and is famous for its poor comfort conditions, before the scheduled hearing tomorrow at 9:30 local time (22:30 GMT, Saturday ) in front of the Federal Court to urgently deal with the possible deportation of the Balkan.
In a 258-page document submitted to the court, the Australian immigration minister charged that Djokovic’s presence may “lead to increased anti-vaccine sentiment in the community” which could lead to riots, like those previously reported in Melbourne.
Djokovic traveled to Melbourne from Spain on January 5 with a medical exemption so as not to be vaccinated, having recently been infected with covid-19, although upon arrival the Immigration authorities canceled his visa and detained him.
Last Monday, January 10, a court ordered the tennis player’s release after understanding that he had not been treated “fairly”, but yesterday the minister canceled the visa again and Djokovic’s lawyers in turn appealed the decision that could lead to his deportation.
In strictly sports, the first Grand Slam of the year on the ATP circuit begins this Monday, and the Serbian, who has just won the title in 2021, is the defending champion and top favorite. In the first round draw he is stipulating that he face his compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic.
Australia revoked Novak Djokovic’s Visa and asks him to leave the country: what will happen now with the tennis player just three days before the Grand Slamhttps://t.co/O5jo2wX4xl
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Nadal’s reaction Novak Djokovic
The Spaniard Rafael Nadal explained in reference to the possible absence of Novak Djokovic that “there is no tennis player who is above an event like the Australian Open” in his press conference prior to the start of the Australian ‘major’ that will take place this Monday.
“If he plays, everything is perfect, but if not, too. I wish him the best, we have done great things together for the circuit”, he added after completing his morning training with the American Taylor Fritz.
The Spaniard argued that “it is important to accept that not everything is perfect after being away for six months” from the competition.
“It’s normal to make some mistakes or move a little slower. A few months ago I didn’t even know if I was going to come, so I’m very happy to be back”, commented the champion of 20 Grand Slam titles who will face American Marcos Giron in the first round.
(Source: Infobae)
Novak Djokovic
