Novak Djokovic’s Father’s Arrest Claims Denied By Australian Government
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The Australian government has denied claims made by Novak Djokovic’s father that he has been arrested, hours after a court ruled that his visa should be restored.
Earlier today, January 10, Djokovic won a legal battle against the Australian government’s decision to cancel his visa after a judge ruled that border officials had been ‘unreasonable’ in the circumstances that surrounded their decision to issue him with a deportation notice last Thursday.
However, Judge Anthony Kelly pointed out that the Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke retained the option to unilaterally cancel Djokovic’s visa, leaving open the possibility that the tennis star could be deported and potentially banned from Australia for up to three years, regardless of today’s ruling.
Hours after the verdict, Serbian media reported that police had arrived at the office of Djokovic’s lawyers, where the world number one was understood to be present, with the intention of arresting him, while Serbian journalist Ksenija Pavlovic McAteer and Sky News reported that Djokovic’s father claimed he was ‘under arrest’.
Those reports were denied by several government sources, who said Hawke was still considering his decision. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have separately cited four government sources and officials from Tennis Australia who confirmed that reports of Djokovic’s arrest were ‘not true’.
The Herald additionally reports that the immigration minister will not make a decision on whether to cancel Djokovic’s visa until tomorrow, and that Djokovic is ‘free to leave’ without facing arrest.
Dozens of Djokovic’s fans have gathered outside his lawyers’ office in support of the world number one, with the Washington Post’s Sydney bureau chief reporting that police used pepper spray on supporters who surrounded a black car they believed Djokovic to be inside.
It’s not clear whether Djokovic has left the building.
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Topics: News, Australia, Novak Djokovic, Tennis
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Sydney Morning HeraldSydney Morning Herald
