Serbian tennis player, Novak Djokovic was denied entry to Australia and his visa was revoked following backlash over a vaccine exemption, which sparked mixed reactions around the world.
Djokovic’s legal team is now preparing for a battle aimed at allowing him to stay in Melbourne and defend his Australian Open title. In a 35-page document court document, his lawyers said the 34-year-old had a vaccine exemption to enter Australia after a positive PCR test on December 16.
They went on to argue that his visa was wrongly cancelled and should be reinstated, allowing him free to compete.
According to BBC, Djokovic is currently in an immigration detention centre ahead of a court case on Monday, and nobody is allowed in or out, except staff.
His case has stirred debate in Australia, and caused a huge outcry worldwide as a group of protesters gathered on the street on Sunday morning, AFP adds.
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison confirmed that Djokovic’s visa has been cancelled, indicating that no one is above the rules.
“Rules are rules, especially when it comes to our borders. No one is above these rules. Our strong border policies have been critical to Australia having one of the lowest death rates in the world from COVID, we are continuing to be vigilant,” Morrison said.
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