Djokovic briefly released from detention

Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis player who was detained in Australia last week for failing to provide evidence of Covid-19 vaccination, has been allowed to briefly leave detention to watch his court hearing.

Judge Anthony Kelly gave Novak permission to leave the Park Hotel quarantine facility, where he had been held since his detention of January 5, to view his hearing from an unspecified location.

The judge ruled that Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews must “bring the applicant to premises as specified by the applicant’s solicitors” on Monday for the hearing and “permit him to remain there until the conclusion of each hearing and to secure his safe return to detention upon the conclusion of each hearing.”

It is currently unknown as to where Djokovic is watching the hearing from or if he even actually left the building at all. The tennis star will presumably be returned to the quarantine facility once the hearing is over, unless he wins the appeal.

A large group of reporters in the meantime congregated outside of the quarantine hotel on Monday in anticipation of Djokovic leaving in public view.

A white van with blacked out windows could reportedly be seen leaving the hotel at around 3pm local time, however it could not be confirmed whether Djokovic was inside.