An Australian judge has reinstated tennis star Novak Djokovic's visa, which was cancelled after his arrival last week because he is unvaccinated.
Circuit Court Judge Anthony Kelly also ordered the government on Monday to release Djokovic from a Melbourne quarantine hotel within 30 minutes of his decision.
Government lawyer Christopher Tran told the judge after the ruling that the minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke, "will consider whether to exercise a personal power of cancellation."
That would mean Djokovic could again face deportation and could miss the Australian Open, which starts on Jan. 17.
The Australian government cancelled 34-year-old Djokovic's visa shortly after he arrived in Melbourne late Wednesday to play in the Australian Open because officials decided he didn't meet the criteria for an exemption to an entry requirement that all non-citizens be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
Djokovic, who court documents say is unvaccinated, argued he did not need proof of vaccination because he had evidence that he had been infected with the coronavirus last month.
Australian medical authorities have ruled that a temporary exemption for the vaccination rule can be provided to people who have been infected with COVID-19 within six months.
Kelly noted that Djokovic had provided officials at Melbourne's airport with a medical exemption given him by Tennis Australia, which is organizing the tournament, and two medical panels.
"The point I'm somewhat agitated about is what more could this man have done?" Kelly asked Djokovic's lawyer, Nick Wood.
Wood agreed with the judge that Djokovic could not have done more.
Djokovic posted a message on Twitter saying he is "pleased and grateful" with the judge's decision to overturn the cancellation of his visa.
I’m pleased and grateful that the Judge overturned my visa cancellation. Despite all that has happened,I want to stay and try to compete <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianOpen</a> <br>I remain focused on that. I flew here to play at one of the most important events we have in front of the amazing fans. 👇 <a href="https://t.co/iJVbMfQ037">pic.twitter.com/iJVbMfQ037</a>
—@DjokerNoleSpeaking with television network Prva in Belgrade, Serbia, the tennis star's brother, Djordje Djokovic, described the judge's ruling as a "great defeat for Australian authorities."
"This is definitely politics — all this was politics," he said.
He said that at one point Monday, that the family was hearing that his brother might still be detained, though he gave no details. He later confirmed that the tennis player was not in detention.
"Novak is free. He was at the tennis court moments ago. He is training," he said.
Held in hotel quarantine
Transcripts of Djokovic's interview with Australian Border Force officials and his own affidavit revealed a "repeated appeal to the officers with which he was dealing that to his understanding, uncontradicted, he had done absolutely everything that he understood was required in order for him to enter Australia," Wood said.
Djokovic has been under guard in hotel quarantine in Melbourne since Thursday, when his visa was cancelled.
But the judge ordered that the world No. 1-ranked tennis player be released during his court hearing. It was not clear where Djokovic was relocated to during his hearing. He did not appear on screen in the first hours of the virtual hearing.
Djokovic's lawyers submitted 11 grounds for appeal against his visa cancellation. The lawyers described the cancellation as "seriously illogical," irrational and legally unreasonable.
Lawyers for Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said in their submission that if the judge ruled in Djokovic's favour, officials might cancel his visa a second time.
They said the vaccination requirement could only be deferred for arriving travellers who have had a COVID-19 infection if their illness was acute.
"There is no suggestion that the applicant (Djokovic) had 'acute major medical illness' in December," when he tested positive, the written submission said.
The virtual hearing crashed several times because of an overwhelming number of people from around the world trying to watch the proceedings.
At one point, an expired court link was apparently hacked and broadcast pornography, The New Daily News website reported.
Djokovic is a nine-time Australian Open champion. He has 20 Grand Slam singles titles, a men's record he shares with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNiYy5jYS9zcG9ydHMvdGVubmlzL25vdmFrLWRqb2tvdmljLWF1c3RyYWxpYS1jb3VydC1hcHBlYWwtZGVjaXNpb24tMS42MzA5Mjkw0gEA?oc=5
2022-01-10 13:59:00Z
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