MELBOURNE (LifeSiteNews) – International tennis star, Novak Djokovic, has won a court challenge against the Australian government’s cancellation of his visa, following days of forced isolation after he was denied entry to the country due to not revealing his vaccination status, despite having a medical exemption from the shot.
Following an online hearing this morning, Judge Anthony Kelly in the Federal Court Circuit overruled a prior decision to cancel Djokovic’s visa, and the tennis star was ordered to be released from his mandatory detention “no later than 30 minutes” after the order was given.
Kelly declared that the “rules were not observed” when border officials decided to revoke Djokovic’s visa.
Kelly also ordered the government to pay the athlete’s legal costs and to return his personal belongings.
Djokovic has previously voiced his opposition to the COVID-19 vaccination and mandates, including travel mandates. He revealed his inclination not to take the jab back in April as part of a Facebook Live video with fellow Serbian athletes, saying, “Personally I am opposed to vaccination and I wouldn’t want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel.”
“But if it becomes compulsory, what will happen? I will have to make a decision. I have my own thoughts about the matter and whether those thoughts will change at some point, I don’t know.”
A transcript of Djokovic’s interrogation by Australia border guards has revealed that the tennis star has not received a COVID-19 vaccine, but that he has had the virus twice.
Djokovic thanks fans
Djokovic has since released a statement, saying “I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation.” The world’s top ranked tennis player thanked his fans for their support and encouragement.
For now I cannot say more but THANK YOU all for standing with me through all this and encouraging me to stay strong 🙏🙏🙏🙏
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 10, 2022
Will Djokovic’s visa be cancelled again?
Following Monday’s court ruling however, immigration minister Alex Hawke warned that he would consider exercising a “personal power” to have Djokovic removed from the country, cancelling the athlete’s visa and resulting in Djokovic being prevented from returning for three years.
The situation on the ground after the hearing remains unclear, with Djokovic’s father apparently telling media that his son has been “arrested,” and supporters who had gathered to celebrate the court victory are becoming uncertain as to the tennis star’s immediate future due to a “significant police presence” outside Djokovic’s lawyers’ office.
“Novak is in a political whirlwind, the people in Australia are unhappy since they have been locked down basically since the pandemic started,” said his brother, Djordje. “It’s definitely politics. What we can do is to let this be known all over social media – they want to capture and lock up Novak again.”
The Djokovic family are understood to be holding a press conference in Belgrade, at 6am EST.
Former Brexit party leader Nigel Farage, who has been a public supproter of Djokovic during the trial, celebrated Judge Kelly’s ruling, warning that any further retaliation from the government could backfire.
A huge win for @DjokerNole this morning. If the Australian government fight this they will look dreadful.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 10, 2022
Meanwhile Australian Member of Parliament and leader of the United Australia Party, Craig Kelly, described the court ruling as a “brilliant legal win & the rule of law restored. MASSIVE loss for Minister Karen Andrews & Morrison. Karen Andrews must RESIGN. Morrison must APOLOGISE to Djokovic. Djokovic MUST be allowed to play.”
Novak Djokovic and countless other unvaccinated travellers remain barred from the United States - we must end this DISCRIMINATION now.
SIGN: Lift the Vax Mandates and Let Novak Play in the US Open!
Fresh from winning Wimbledon, Novak Djokovic remains unable to compete in the US Open next month because he is unvaccinated and therefore cannot enter the country.
This reprehensible discrimination is also being faced on a daily basis by thousands of unvaccinated travellers who would otherwise visit the United States.
The Biden administration must hear from you and your friends TODAY - vaccine discrimination is wholly unacceptable.
Tennis star Novak Djokovic reaffirms his position He is against covid vaccination. After winning Wimbledon, he hopes to be released from mandates at the US Open. pic.twitter.com/jSXHCjO95n
— PN News (@PN_News_EN) July 11, 2022
Djokovic is no stranger to being scapegoated for his health decisions, with the world's media and political establishment making an example of him in January when his initial permission to enter Australia was overturned.
His recent victory in Wimbledon, under the media's watchful eye, was all the sweeter given how much vitriol he had suffered earlier this year at their hands.
Nonetheless, Djokovic had the grace to tell a Serbian homecoming celebration this week that "we are Christians...we forgive."
SIGN & SHARE: Let Novak Play in the US Open!
Words like "equality" and "inclusivity", which are so often used by the current administration, will continue to ring hollow so long as unvaccinated people are treated differently to those who chose to get the shot.
Almost all western countries have lifted their vaccine requirements for entry, but the United States remains stubbornly opposed to ending this discrimination, despite it also being ineffective at keeping Covid out:
US Trade Rep just tested positive for Covid. She’s fully vaccinated and boosted and just returned from fully vaccinated Canada.
— David Asman (@DavidAsmanfox) July 10, 2022
Unvaccinated Novak Djokovic just won Wimbledon, but US Open may prohibit him from playing because he’s at risk of infecting the vaccinated. INSANITY! pic.twitter.com/iMDtT95NBK
Djokovic has consistently shown himself to be a man of principle worthy of our support, as this interview after the Australian debacle demonstrates:
“Because the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title.”
— James Melville (@JamesMelville) July 11, 2022
~Novak Djokovic pic.twitter.com/iRLOjFcRNo
TAKE ACTION: Sign & Share the petition calling for an end to vaccine discrimination.
You have a part to play in this Orwellian situation, as the only thing preventing elites from re-imposing Covid restrictions and vaccine mandates is people-power.
People-power will allow us to continue clawing back our freedoms from those who would control us, despite their disinterest in our appeals to science, justice and right-reason.
Use your voice TODAY to help end vaccine discrimination - we are on the winning side and mustn't become complacent.
Thank you for taking part in this campaign.
Centre Court rises again for one of its great champions
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2022
Congratulations, @DjokerNole 👏#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/RAm2mm56pS
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This petition builds on the support of those who called for Novak Djokovic to be allowed enter the Australian Open:
UPDATE (1/18/2022):
Even with our petition to Australia's federal government officials surpassing 100,000 signatures over the last week, Novak Djokovic's battle to remain in the country and compete in this year's Australian Open has unfortunately come to an end.
As you may recall, Djokovic's visa was originally reinstated after a Federal Circuit Judge ruled him eligible to stay in Australia, largely thanks to the legitimate, government-issued exemption from the national vaccination mandate that he had obtained upon entry.
However, Australia's Immigration Minister Alex Hawke was quick to intervene, and took unilateral action to cancel Djokovic's visa once again last week.
Djokovic remained steadfast, though, and immediately appealed this decision.
However, things unfortunately did not turn out as we had hoped: The courts ruled in favor of the Australian federal government, resulting in Djokovic's deportation and, as a result, barring him from competing in this year's Australian Open, for which he is a defending nine-time champion.
Needless to say, this is a major setback in the global battle to restore basic human rights in the face of unprecedented authoritarian medical tyranny, and emphasizes the terrifying concept that, if it can happen to the world's #1 tennis player, it can happen to you.
And even this may not be the end of it: It now seems likely that Djokovic could also be banned from participating in the 2022 French Open due to his vaccination status as well!
Djokovic returned to Serbia this morning after facing weeks of discrimination, detainment, and arbitrary enforcement of existing Covid policies in Australia.
He landed in Belgrade to chants of "We love Novak" by supporters who gathered to show their support for the world champion.
We support Novak, too, as well as every individual's right to make personal medical decisions for themselves without government manipulation and intimidation. And while Novak Djokovic may be just the latest victim of intrusive Covid restrictions, he, tragically, will not be the last.
Nonetheless, we will continue to fight for the rights of all people worldwide who find themselves in similar positions, and we hope you will, too.
Thank you for supporting our effort to help free Novak Djokovic!
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UPDATE (1/14/2022):
We have good news and bad news...
The good news is that our petition to FREE NOVAK DJOKOVIC is inching closer and closer to 100,000 signatories from across the globe and was delivered in person to Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke.
The bad news is that, as of today, Novak Djokovic's visa has been CANCELED yet again by Australia's increasingly tyrannical federal government.
That's why, if you haven't already, we need you to SIGN and SHARE our petition so that we can emphasize our outrage over Australia's deplorable treatment of unvaccinated people, as well as its arbitrary enforcement of its own Covid rules.
Earlier this week, a Federal Circuit Judge in Australia ruled that Djokovic, who is unvaccinated but obtained a government-issued exemption from the country's national mandate, was free to stay in the country and compete in the Australian Open later this month, reinstating his Visa after it had been canceled by the Australian Border Force (ABF).
Prior to the ruling, Djokovic had been detained in a government-run isolation facility, even though he already had natural immunity from the virus and the state of Victoria's Health Department, along with Tennis Australia, had approved his vaccination exemption. Luckily, Judge Anthony Kelly felt differently, and allowed Djokovic to go free.
This came as excellent news and a positive development in Djokovic's case, but, as we warned in our most recent update, this didn't necessarily signify the end of things...
Earlier today, Australia's Immigration Minister, Alex Hawke, took unilateral action to OVERRULE Monday's court decision and canceled Novak Djokovic's visa yet again.
This means that he will be forced to leave the country just days before the start of the 2022 Australian Open.
"Today I exercised my power under section 133C(3) of the Migration Act to cancel the visa held by Mr Novak Djokovic on health and good order grounds," Hawke said in his announcement, "on the basis that it was in the public interest to do so."
But we all know the truth: What's truly in the public interest would be for government officials to stop abusing their power, following their own rules for vaccination exemptions, and ending this unprecedented discrimination against ALL unvaccinated people, including Novak Djokovic.
But this fight is NOT over: Djokovic is appealing the Immigration Minister's decision in federal court once again, and his lawyers are currently fighting for his right to remain in Australia and compete in the tournament, which begins Monday.
Nevertheless, we must exercise maximum pressure on Prime Minister Morrison, Immigration Minister Hawke, and all concerned federal authorities, and let them know that such blatantly discriminatory violations of human rights will NOT go unchallenged.
So if you haven't already, please SIGN this petition. And if you already have, please SHARE it on any of the following social media platforms by clicking on these links:
Click here to share on Gab
Click here to share on MeWe
Click here to share on Telegram
Click here to share on Twitter
Click here to share on Facebook
Novak Djokovic's freedom is on the line once again, and we mustn't sit idly by while Australia's unchecked medical tyranny becomes the new normal in this unprecedented age of government overreach and manipulation.
With your help, we can FREE NOVAK DJOKOVIC again!
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Australia cancels visa of unvaccinated tennis star Novak Djokovic for the second time': https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-australia-cancels-visa-of-unvaccinated-tennis-star-novak-djokovic/
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UPDATE (1/10/2022):
Our petition to FREE NOVAK DJOKOVIC has really caught fire!
Over the weekend, thanks to people like YOU, this important appeal to Australia's Prime Minister and concerned federal authorities calling on them to release tennis champion Novak Djokovic from his detainment has gained signatures from people all over the world!
Where things stand currently, our petition has obtained more than 83,000 signatures within just a few days, and that number is still growing!
And, most importantly, as of today -- Monday, January 10th -- Djokovic is a FREE MAN once again!
While things appear hopeful for the time being, though, Djokovic's freedom is not guaranteed, as immediately after his release, Australia's Immigration Minister still threatened to jail and deport him for not being vaccinated for Covid-19.
Djokovic, who requested and was granted a legitimate vaccine exemption from Victoria's Department of Health and Tennis Australia, was denied entry to Australia when he arrived last Wednesday to compete in the upcoming Australian Open later this month.
His visa was rejected by the Australian Border Force (ABF) and, in turn, Djokovic, then detained, filed a legal challenge to his pending deportation, which was considered earlier today.
The result: Judge Anthony Kelly of the Australian Federal Circuit Court reinstated Djokovic's visa, thwarting attempts on behalf of federal government institutions that sought to bar him from staying in the country and competing in the tournament, even though he'd obtained a government-issued exemption from Australia's authoritarian nationwide vaccine mandate.
This is excellent news, and further proof that the grassroots efforts of people like you are having a meaningful impact in all corners of the world.
But, unfortunately, as mentioned above, this saga is far from over...
Even with this court ruling, the jury is still out on what Australia's federal government will do next.
As reported by the Associated Press, Christopher Tran, a government attorney, has suggested that the Australian Minister of Immigration, Alex Hawke, may yet pursue further action on the matter, claiming he "“will consider whether to exercise a personal power of cancellation."
If, in fact, he does, this would mean that Djokovic could not only face potential deportation once again, but be at risk of being banned from Australia for a total of three years.
That's why we're asking for your help, one more time, and relaunching this important petition to defend Novak Djokovic against Australia's tyrannical federal government.
So if you haven't already, please SIGN this petition. And if you already have, please SHARE it on any of the following social media platforms by clicking on these links:
Click here to share on Gab
Click here to share on MeWe
Click here to share on Telegram
Click here to share on Twitter
Click here to share on Facebook
While today produced a positive development in the effort to free Novak Djokovic, as things currently stand, it's anyone's guess what may happen next.
Your efforts helped free Novak Djokovic once, and with your continued support, we can help keep him free.
Freedom-loving people across our world must stand up to Covid tyranny, be it Down Under or anywhere else, and there couldn't be a better time to make your voice heard by adding your name to this worldwide appeal.
Thank you!
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If it can happen to the world's #1 tennis player, it can happen to any of us.
Novak Djokovic, the #1 ranked tennis player in the world, is currently LOCKED UP in an Australian detainment center. Yes, you read that right, Novak Djokovic is currently a political prisoner because of Australia's out of control COVID tyranny.
Please SIGN AND SHARE this petition to Australian Prime Minister Morrison demanding Novak Djokovic be set free immediately and allowed to compete in the Australian Open.
The defending champion of the Australian Open, Djokovic had been preparing to compete in the tournament again this year when he was denied entry into Australia upon the rejection of his visa due to his not being "vaccinated" for COVID-19.
But when one looks further at the situation, it becomes clear that singling out Djokovic -- as if he were a criminal -- was never about health after all.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison took to Twitter to virtue-signal to the public, declaring that Djokovic had been denied entry into Australia because "nobody is above the rules."
But, in reality, Djokovic had followed the rules and obtained a medical exemption from the country's vaccination mandate from two independent medical boards at the state of Victoria's Department of Health and Tennis Australia, the governing organization for tennis in Australia.
Novak Djokovic had a very public case of COVID last summer from which he acquired robust natural immunity. Additionally, it is now abundantly clear that the COVID shots are totally ineffective in combatting the virus' new variants. So why insist on making an example of a healthy professional athlete with naturally acquired immunity?
Because this is not really about Novak Djokovic specifically -- this is a message to the rest of us about who is in control.
The tyrannical government of Australia wants you to know that the rules are whatever they say they are, and if you object, regardless of reasoning, they will ultimately have the final say.
If a successful, internationally recognized professional athlete can fall victim to the human rights violations of the ruling class, anybody can.
That's why we're asking you to SIGN and SHARE this petition to Australia's Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, asking him to end his government's madness, once and for all, and to allow Novak Djokovic, who obtained a medical exemption from the Australian vaccine mandate, entry into the country to compete at the 2022 Australian Open.
Right now, Djokovic is being detained in an immigration detention facility in Melbourne, where he will remain until at least Monday while a legal challenge to his pending deportation that he filed is reviewed and considered by Australia's Federal Circuit Court.
The Australian Border Force (ABF), which is responsible for the cancellation of Djokovic's visa, has simply stated the following: "[Djokovic] failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements to Australia, and his visa has been subsequently cancelled."
The 2022 Australian Open is scheduled to begin on January 17th -- just over a week from now, and Novak Djokovic remains in Covid limbo.
Should his appeal be rejected, Djokovic's visa will remain canceled, and he will be deported by Australia's federal government, even though he followed their own protocol(s) to obtain a medical exemption from the nationwide Covid vaccination mandate.
These arbitrary judgments must not stand, and it's time to let the Prime Minister know that human rights violations like these have no place in Australia, or anywhere else in the world.
So please, SIGN and SHARE this petition to PM Morrison calling on him to drop the political act, acknowledge the medical exemption legitimately obtained by Novak Djokovic, and allow him to enter the country so he can compete in this year's Australian Open.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Australia denies entry to tennis star Novak Djokovic despite medical exemption for COVID shot': https://www.
**Photo Credit: Leonard Zhukovsky / Shutterstock.com
Djokovic vs Australian borders
After landing in the country Wednesday, to defend his title at the Australian Open (beginning January 17), Djokovic was held by border guards who alleged a discrepancy in his visa application. The Serbian star had already been granted a medical exemption on December 30 to the COVID jab requirement allowing him to participate Open, after he received a positive COVID test on December 16.
The grounds for denying him entry are apparently due to a mistaken application for a visa which does not allow for medical exemptions.
The decision prompted international backlash, as Djokovic’s mother said her son was being held in an isolation hotel “like a prisoner” and that the hotel itself was “terrible. It’s just some small, immigration hotel, if it is a hotel at all. With bugs, it’s all dirty, the food is terrible.”
The tennis star’s brother further claimed that Djokovic’s possessions had been confiscated by Australian authorities, and that he was prohibited from communicating with his family during his interrogation.
Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vučić, then intervened following a personal discussion with Djokovic. “In line with all norms of international law, Serbia will fight for Novak, truth and justice. Novak is strong, as we all know,” said Vučić.
This story is developing…