Novak Djokovic Was Taken Into Custody as He Continues Fight to Stay in Australia
Never tiring of embarrassing themselves before the world, the Australian officials have now arrested Novak Djokovic ahead of his hearing tomorrow. Don’t they have anything better to do? No one else they can arrest?
A judge scheduled a hearing for Sunday to address whether the unvaccinated Serbian tennis star can remain in the country after the government canceled his visa.
Djokovic had COVID in December and has natural immunity.
He was granted a visa originally and then they took it back.
Australians are allegedly rejoicing over his deportation, apparently not giving a hoot as to what they look like to the rest of the world. They look like petty authoritarians and most of the world viewed them as freedom lovers prior to this. Obviously, many Australians still are freedom lovers.
Djokovic was taken into custody on Saturday and will be held by immigration officials until the hearing on Sunday.
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Later Saturday, Justice O’Callaghan granted the Djokovic legal team’s request that a full panel of judges hear the case rather than a single judge. That means the court’s decision on the matter cannot be appealed.
The immigration minister opposed that request.
On Friday, a different judge, Anthony Kelly of the Federal Circuit and Family Court, ordered the government not to deport Djokovic while his appeal is being heard.
Hours earlier, the immigration minister, Alex Hawke, had revoked Djokovic’s visa on the grounds of “health and good order,” adding that the move was in the public interest.
That’s just vengeance. It has nothing to do with health. He’s fine and he’s healthy.
The tournament starts on Monday morning and Djokovic has won its men’s singles title a record nine times.
Djokovic’s lawyers are arguing that Hawke did not act rationally when he said that Djokovic’s refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19 posed a public health risk and could “excite anti-vaccination sentiment” in Australia.
Djokovic’s lawyers asked for a speedy schedule so that he could potentially be cleared to play.
The lawyers criticized the immigration minister for taking four days since an earlier court ruling to decide to rescind the visa, and for announcing it at 6 p.m. on Friday. “We are where we are because of the time the minister has taken,” Wood said. “We are moving as fast as we can.”
The minister did it deliberately. Politically, he gets points for throwing the competition out.
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