[Text/Observer Network Ju Feng]
At about 6 pm local time on January 16, the matter of the famous tennis player Djokovic’s visa to enter Australia was settled. Three federal judges in the Australian Federal Court unanimously ruled that Djokovic lost the case. The anti-vaccination Serbian tennis star will not be able to compete in the 2022 Australian Open (The Australian Open). He will continue to be "detained" in Melbourne until deported.
Djokovic issued a statement confirming his departure from Australia
Djokovic, currently ranked number one in the world, will not be able to win his 21st Grand Slam singles title this time, breaking the record he held with Federer and Nadal world record. Not only that, according to relevant provisions of Australian immigration laws, he may face the reality that he will not be able to enter Australia to compete in the next three years.
After the outcome of the trial came out, Djokovic issued a statement saying that he was "extremely disappointed" with the court's decision, but that he respected the court's decision and would cooperate with relevant departments to complete the departure matter.
It is worth mentioning that before the judge’s ruling has been released, Australian Open has already released the first day’s schedule. Top seed Novak Djokovic will face Miomir Kecmanovic, also from Serbia. Now it seems that Xiaode will not be able to participate in this competition.
The issue of Djokovic's "medical exemption" has been full of twists and turns, and it has risen to the level of a diplomatic incident. Before and after, Djokovic’s visa was canceled twice by the Australian government. After Djokovic's first appeal was successful, Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his ministerial " discretionary power" to cancel Djokovic's appeal again. visa.
Before the start of this Australian Open, Djokovic did not receive the new crown vaccine , but he received a "medical exemption" from the Victoria state government where the event was held and the Australian Tennis Association, the organizer of the event. However, when Djokovic arrived at Melbourne Airport on January 5 to prepare for the competition, this "medical exemption" was questioned.
On January 5, local time, Djokovic’s visa was temporarily canceled and detained at Melbourne Airport because he had not received the COVID-19 vaccine and did not meet the “medical exemption conditions”.
When passing through customs, the Australian border department believed that the visa type Djokovic applied for was wrong and could not be used for "medical exemption" entry. He was immediately "detained" at the airport and asked to leave the country. Djokovic's lawyers quickly intervened and secured an opportunity for the Australian Federal Court to hold a hearing on January 10 on "whether the visa should be cancelled."
At the same time, his relatives and friends pointed the finger at Australian Prime Minister Morrison, saying that Djokovic was a victim of Australia's "political agenda" and that the Australian Prime Minister "is trying to please some people in the country and improve his poor political support." Rate".
On January 6, local time, Xiaode’s parents held a press conference in Belgrade to express their dissatisfaction and anger over their experience in Australia. Picture from Oriental IC
At the hearing on January 10, the Australian Federal Court ruled that Djokovic’s visa was valid. He immediately left the detention hotel held by the Australian Immigration Department and began to prepare for the upcoming January at Melbourne Park. Preparing for training for the Australian Open, which starts on the 17th.
However, after considering the evidence provided by Djokovic's lawyers and the advice of the Australian Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke used his minister's "Discretionary power" canceled Djokovic's visa again.
Hawke said in a statement on January 14, "because it was in the public interest to do so." (it was in the public interest to do so)
Hawke's reason for canceling the visa was that Djokovic was in Australia The presence of the virus could pose a threat to the health and "good order" of the Australian public and "could be counterproductive to the vaccination efforts of the rest of Australia".
In addition, under section 133C(3) of the Australian Immigration Act, except in certain circumstances (compelling circumstances affecting Australia's interests), persons affected by this section will not be eligible to re-enter Australia within three years. visa.
Therefore, Djokovic may face the reality that he will not be able to enter Australia to compete in the next three years. The
statement also stated that the Morrison government is firmly committed to protecting Australia's borders, especially in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, in response to the COVID-19 epidemic, Australia insists that visa holders coming to Australia must receive two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, or provide acceptable proof that they cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Djokovic's lawyers are appealing Hawke's decision to cancel his visa. At the same time, Djokovic was once again "detained" by the Australian government, waiting for the outcome of today's trial.
Djokovic is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, but as a public figure, his poor performance in epidemic prevention after the outbreak has still attracted a lot of criticism. So far, Djokovic has won the Australian Open men's singles championship 9 times in his career. After winning the Wimbledon Tennis Open last year, the Serbian equaled the record of 20 Grand Slam singles titles jointly held by Swiss golf king Federer and Spanish "clay court god" Nadal.
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