Novak’s interview: A night at the airport
After seven hours of grilling, Djokovic was given 20 mins at 4am for additional info that he did not have
MUMBAI: Besides the court verdict that went in favour of Novak Djokovic and allowed him to stay in Australia, for now, the backand-forth interview process released on Monday highlighted what the Serb had to go through at the Melbourne airport after landing. Details of the lengthy overnight questioning emerged as the transcript of the interview between Djokovic and the Australian Border Force officials was made public. In the stop-start interview process that began at 12.21am on Thursday and went on for more than seven hours, two separate officials of the ABF questioned the Serb, before a detaining officer entered the room and told Djokovic: “It has come to my attention that you are an unlawful non-citizen in Australia. Therefore, I am detaining you under section 189(1) of the Migration Act of 1958”.
In the intervening period, Djokovic revealed that he was indeed unvaccinated, contacted his agent to ascertain exactly which authority in Australia had granted him the medical exemption and pleaded for time to challenge the cancellation of his visa. Here are some key parts of the interview:
On his vaccination status and the Covid positive test last month:
...Now question regarding your vaccination, are you vaccinated?
I am not vaccinated.
for COVID-19?
INTERVIEWER: DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER:
Not vaccinated?
I am not vaccinated.
Thank you. Have you ever had COVID?
Yes.
DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER: DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER:
you?
DJOKOVIC:
So when did
I had COVID twice, I had COVID in June 2020 and I had COVID recently in – I was tested positive – PCR –16th of December 2021.
Djokovic had earlier mentioned in the interview that he had a letter from the federal government about his medical exemption, which, after checking with his agent, he corrected:
INTERVIEWER:
That’s absolutely fine, but the thing is like you [inaudible] come to Australia and it is pretty much governed by Federal Government.
This I understand. This I understand. So do you need any additional documents from me?
DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER:
Yeah, if you are claiming that you did receive emails from Federal Government.
DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER:
Ok.
because, yeah, we want to give you every opportunity to provide as much information as you can.
Alright. Ok so. No we did not get any emails from the Federal Government. This is what we got from the Australian Open player medical team, because they are the organisers of the event, so this is what we got.
When the interview resumed at 3.55am after a brief period of rest, Djokovic was told about the notice of intention to cancel his visa, and that he had 20 minutes to provide sufficient reasons to change the decision:
DJOKOVIC: INTERVIEWER:
I will give you like, you know, 20 minutes—or whatever if you need more time you can request that—and you need to provide us reasons why we shouldn’t cancel the visa.
I mean, I am really failing to understand what else do you want me to provide to you. I have provided all the documents that Tennis Australia and Victorian government has asked me to do in the last three/four weeks, this is what we have been doing. My agent and I have been in a constant communication through my agent with Tennis Australia and Victorian state government,
DJOKOVIC:
the medical panel.
Yep. They—whatever they asked us to do—this is their set of rules that they have provided. So they have allowed to have the medical exemption for the Covid vaccination. I applied, they approved, I just really don’t know what else do you want me to say. What – I just – I have nothing else – I arrived here because of these documents otherwise I wouldn’t have been allowed to come in. I just really don’t understand what is the reason you don’t allow me to enter your country – just I mean, I have been
INTERVIEWER: DJOKOVIC:
waiting four hours and I still fail to, to understand what’s the main reason—like—lack of what papers? Lack of what information do you need? Or?
Ah yep, so I am just going to read out all of the information to you and I’m going to give you a copy of this as well. So everything is in there. But yeah, I have to go through this process and then the explanation you have given me, I mean, you can give it to me after the timeframe which we give you. The 20 minutes we have to give you.
So you’re giving me 20 minutes to provide additional information that I don’t have? At 4 o clock in the morning? I mean you kind of put me in a very awkward position where at 4 in the morning I can’t call director of Tennis Australia, I can’t engage with anybody from the Victorian state government through Tennis Australia. I just you put me in a very uncomfortable position. I don’t know what else can I tell you. I mean everything that that they—i was asked to do is here.
INTERVIEWER: DJOKOVIC: