An Australian judge demanded Monday to know what more Novak Djokovic could have done to meet the country’s strict pandemic entry requirements, offering a glimmer of hope to the detained tennis superstar as he fights deportation.
The 34-year-old world number one arrived in Melbourne last week ahead of the Australian Open, hoping to win a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title.
But guards at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport decided the unvaccinated star had failed to present a solid medical reason for not being jabbed.
Djokovic’s visa was revoked and he was moved to a notorious immigration detention facility pending deportation.
In an emergency online court hearing Monday, federal Judge Anthony Kelly listened to extended legal wrangling about the process, before jumping to the 34-year-old’s defence.
Declaring himself “somewhat agitated”, Kelly said Djokovic had provided evidence from “a professor and an eminently qualified physician” about a medical exemption.
“What more could this man have done?” the judge demanded.
Proceedings were repeatedly delayed as the court’s online system crashed under a surge of worldwide interest.
Anti-vaccine activists shared a link to the livestream and defied a court order by broadcasting proceedings live on YouTube.
Eventually, the judge pressed ahead without a public livestream, and Djokovic’s team of top-flight lawyers made his case.
‘Utterly confused’
During overnight questioning at the airport, they said Djokovic was “utterly confused” about the situation.
The Australian Open gets under way in just seven days, and the nine-time defending champion’s participation now entirely depends on whether Judge Kelly believes the government acted improperly in revoking his visa.
Most foreigners are still banned from travel to Australia, and those granted entry must be fully vaccinated or have an exemption like “acute” illness.
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Source : france24
