The world's number one tennis star, Novak Djokovic, could hardly have guessed that he would wake up in the refugee detention center the day before his debut at the Australian Open.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic has finally learned his fate with the Federal Court's ruling on Sunday. Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic is being sent out of the country the day before his Australian Open debut.
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🔥THERE IS A MESSAGE FROM SERBIA
Serbian president says Australia 'humiliated them' by court order. (AFP)
🔥EXPLANATION OF THE MINISTER AFTER THE COURT DECISION
Federal Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke, I welcome the unanimous decision of the Federal Court of Australia affirming my decision to exercise my authority under the Immigration Act to revoke Novak Djokovic's visa in the public interest.
“I can confirm that Djokovic has now left Australia ,” said Alex Hawke .
Djokovic's presence in Australia was seen as an overwhelming risk to the vaccine.
Federal Court Judges, Chief Justice James Allsop, Judge Anthony Besanko and Judge David O'Callaghan, unanimously made the final decision on the visa of the famous tennis player.
The Federal Court, Novak Djokovic and the Ministry of Immigration announced the verdict of the case live on Sunday.
Immigration minister Alex Hawke saw Djokovic's presence in Australia as an overwhelming risk to vaccines.
Djokovic's visa revocation application was rejected in federal court and he was ordered to be deported from Australia.
The court board stated that they will explain the main reasons for the decision in the coming days.
🔥DECISION CANNOT BE APPEAL
Djokovic also lost his right to appeal. Djokovic's lawyers had requested a tripartite judge before the court. At the end of this request, it is not possible to appeal with the 'decision of the court'.
Their lawyers also announced that they will not go to the high court.
PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON: 'Rule of law is fundamental to way of life in Australia' –
HE WILL ALSO PAY THE EXPENSES✅
The court ordered Novak Djokovic to pay the court costs of the government's legal team.
When Immigration Minister Hawke decided to revoke Djokovic's visa, he primarily relied on the argument that his presence in Australia "could be a risk to the health of Australian society" .
🔥THREE MAIN ARTICLES WERE EFFECTIVE IN THE COURT
The Federal Ministry of Immigration focused on three main elements in visa cancellation.
✅First argument; Opposition to vaccination against COVID-19 and 'inconsistent behavior' in restrictions in the past.
Underscoring this issue, the lawyers drew attention to a press interview that Djokovic intentionally attended on December 18, 2021, the day after he received a positive COVID-19 test result.
✅The second argument was that Djokovic's high profile and vaccine status could encourage others to imitate him.
Attorney Stephen Lloyd, who represents Secretary Hawke, said: “People always use top athletes to support ideas and causes. Whether he likes it or not, his connection to the case still exists. Its presence in Australia was seen as an overwhelming risk.”
✅The final argument was that Minister Hawke said Australia's hospital system would be put under pressure if others were encouraged to resist the COVID-19 vaccine or restrictions.
The party wishing to leave the country
DEFENSE OF ATTORNEYS🔥
Nick Wood from SC, representing Djokovic, said the tennis star's views on the vaccine on which Minister Hawke is based came from a BBC article citing comments made by the Serbian tennis star in April 2020.
What did Novak Djokovic really say about vaccines, published on January 6, 2022? The BBC article entitled, included comments he made before vaccines were made for COVID-19.
“In April 2020, long before COVID-19 vaccines were available, Djokovic said he was 'against vaccines',” the BBC article said.
He later clarified his position by adding that he was 'not an expert' and would be 'open minded' but wanted to have ' the option to choose what's best for my body .
Wood also said that Secretary Hawke did not ask Djokovic about his current views on the vaccine.
Responding to the latter argument, Wood argued that there was no evidence that Djokovic's presence would encourage anti-vaccination in Australia.
Wood said the only evidence of such sentiment came after Djokovic's visa was revoked, which sparked social media hashtags and sparked protests outside the hotel where he was detained.