Serbian leaders denounced Australia’s decision to deport Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic over not being vaccinated against COVID-19, with Serbian Prime Minister (PM) Ana Brnabić calling Australia’s deportation of Djokovic “scandalous.”
While speaking to the BBC, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said, “It’s not only the fact that you were tormenting him—you were torturing him. It was not only intellectual but physical torture against Novak [...] including the most terrible campaign against one athlete, like he became a mass killer or something like that.”
While speaking to reporters in Belgrade, Brnabić said, “I am disappointed. I think it demonstrated how the rule of law is functioning, or better to say not functioning, in some other countries. In any case, I can hardly wait to see Novak Djokovic in our own country, in Serbia.”
Similarly, Djokovic’s family also expressed disappointment over the Australian authorities’ decision and said the court ruling was related to “politics and other interests.”
The Australian Open defending champion flew out of Australia on Sunday evening after expressing his disappointment in a brief statement. “I will now be taking some time to rest and to recuperate, before making any further comments beyond this,” he said, adding, “I am extremely disappointed with the court ruling to dismiss my application for judicial review of the minister’s decision to cancel my visa, which means I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open.”
As a Member of the Australian Parliament I apologise to you @DjokerNole for how badly you’ve been treated by the Australian Govt
— Craig Kelly MP (@CraigKellyMP) January 16, 2022
We know you just wanted to play tennis, but the Aust Govt wrongly allowed politics to interfere in sport#IStandWithDjokovichttps://t.co/JMS4iP2leX
Meanwhile, the Serbian Tennis Association (TSS) said, “Novak Djokovic has been denied an opportunity to win a milestone 10th title [in Australia]. Political pressure has led to the revocation of his visa to satisfy ‘public interest’.” TSS further asked if athletes would now be incarcerated and deported like criminals to suit the political interests of powerful individuals.
The comments come after a three-judge bench rejected Djokovic’s appeal against the cancellation of his visa on Sunday. Australia’s Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, used his discretionary powers and revoked Djokovic’s visa for the second time last Thursday.
BREAKING: Covid rule cheat, immigration form liar, & anti-vaxxer icon Novak Djokovic loses final appeal against deportation & will be thrown out of Australia without being able to compete in Aus Open. Good. 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/nZAVgSsZK8
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 16, 2022
Djokovic was first detained by the Australian Immigration authorities upon his arrival in Melbourne on January 6, after they cancelled his visa due to insufficient evidence that proved his medical exemption against vaccination for COVID-19. Consequently, Djokovic launched a legal battle challenging their decision and won the legal challenge that led to his immediate release from detention on October 10.
However, he was detained again on Saturday after Hawke decided to cancel his visa for the second time. He now faces the possibility of a three-year ban from Australia, where he has won nine out of his 20 Grand Slam titles. In this regard, Australian PM Scott Morrison said Djokovic could return sooner to Australia under the right circumstances. Moreover, in a media statement, Morrison welcomed the court’s decision based on public safety and reaffirmed that strong borders are fundamental to the Australian way of life.
I welcome today’s unanimous decision by the Full Federal Court of Australia, upholding my decision to exercise my power under the Migration Act to cancel Mr Novak Djokovic’s visa in the public interest.
— Alex Hawke MP (@AlexHawkeMP) January 16, 2022
I can confirm that Mr Djokovic has now departed Australia. pic.twitter.com/8CapwFeDCS
Likewise, Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said if Djokovic had a compelling reason to return to Australia in the future, it would be considered. Moreover, defending the government’s decision to deport him, Andrews said, “I understand that this has played out very publicly, but Australians can be very confident that the Morrison government, and its ministers, will do all that they can to ensure that Australia has strong borders.”