Novak Djokovic is the subject of a “political witch hunt,” Serbian president Aleksander Vucic said Thursday as the tennis star awaits a court ruling over his permission to be in Australia to play the Australian Open.
Djokovic was put into a Melbourne hotel waiting for a court ruling and dealing with possible deportation from the country because of an issue related to his visa application.
Tennis’ world No. 1’s case was adjourned until Monday because of a delay in receiving the application for a review of the visa decisions and the temporary ban on his deportation. He was transferred to a hotel controlled by immigration officials that also houses asylum seekers and refugees.
Vucic said the way Australian officials were handling Djokovic was unfair.
“What is not fair play is the political witch hunt (being conducted against Novak), by everybody, including the Australian prime minister pretending that the rules apply to all,” Vucic told reporters, via AFP.
Serbia hopes Djokovic will get to stay in a house he rented for the duration of the Australian Open instead of the government-controlled hotel he was put in.
“I fear that this relentless political pursuit of Novak will continue until the moment they can prove something, because when you cannot defeat somebody then you turn to these type of things,” Vucic added.
Source: Fox News.