'Harassment': Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice, truth, vows president

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) – All of Serbia stands with Novak Djokovic and will fight for him, the country’s president said on Thursday in a message of support for the world number one tennis player after he was denied entry into Australia.

Aleksandar Vucic said on social media that he has spoken with Djokovic, who has been confined to a quarantine hotel since landing in Melbourne at around 1230GMT on Wednesday.

Vucic said he told the Serbian star that “all of Serbia is with him.”

“Our authorities are taking all measures to ensure that the harassment of the world’s best tennis player ends as soon as possible,” he asserted.

“In line with all standards of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, justice and truth.”

Djokovic, who has refused to disclose his vaccination status, traveled to the country to defend his Australian Open title, after the state of Victoria gave him an exemption from vaccination requirements.

However, his impending arrival sparked furor in Australia, where the adult vaccination rate is over 91%, and in Melbourne, which has lived through the world’s longest cumulative COVID-19 lockdown.

Amid political divisions between Australian states and the federal government over the pandemic response, Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s administration, which has authority over international borders and the power to overrule exemptions granted by states, blocked his entry.

“Mr. Djokovic’s visa has been canceled. Rules are rules, 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 on Twitter.

Under Australian Open rules, all participants, including players, must be vaccinated against COVID-19 or have medical exemption from an independent panel of experts.

While Djokovic fulfilled the latter requirement, Australia’s Federal Border Force deemed that he was unable to justify the grounds for his exemption.

Djokovic, 34, has won the Australian Open nine times over the course of his illustrious career – 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2021.