ジョコは「魔女狩り」の犠牲者 豪入国拒否、母国大統領や父が非難

【ベオグラードＡＦＰ＝時事】オーストラリアへの入国を拒否された男子テニス世界ランキング１位のノバク・ジョコビッチ（セルビア）について、セルビアのアレクサンダル・ブチッチ大統領は６日、「政治的な魔女狩り」の犠牲者であると述べた。同選手の父親も、息子がイエス・キリストのごとく十字架にはりつけにされたと抗議した。（写真はセルビアの国会議事堂前でデモに参加するノバク・ジョコビッチの父親のスルジャンさん）
　今月の全豪オープンで連覇を目指しているジョコビッチは、５日に豪メルボルンの空港に到着した際、入国に必要な新型コロナウイルスワクチンの２回接種もしくは医療上の理由による接種免除の「適切な証拠の提出」ができなかったとして拘束された。
　オーストラリアの入国ビザ（査証）は取り消され、現在は国外退去の可能性に直面している。６日は市内の入管施設で一夜を過ごすことを余儀なくされた。
　免除を受けた他の選手がすでに豪入国を許可されている中、ブチッチ大統領はジョコビッチが嫌がらせを受けていると指摘。「フェアプレーでないのは、全員に規則を適用するふりをしているオーストラリアの首相を含め、あらゆる人々による（ジョコビッチに対しての）政治的な魔女狩りだ」とセルビアメディアで語った。
　セルビアの首都ベオグラードでは６日、ジョコビッチの父親スルジャンさんが議会の前でデモを先導し、「われわれは暴力を呼び掛けているのではない。ただ、（ジョコビッチへの）支援を求めている」と拡声器で叫んだ。
　記者会見にも臨んだスルジャンさんは、「（ジョコビッチへの対応は）ノバクが世界最高のテニス選手でスポーツマンであることが理由だ」と訴え、「イエスも十字架にはりつけられ、多くの試練にさらされたが、今も私たちの中で生きている。世界最高のスポーツマンであり人間であるノバクも、磔刑（たっけい）に処されている。彼は耐え抜くだろう」と話した。
　デモに参加した数百人の群衆も、セルビア国旗や「彼らは最強の人間を恐れている。コロナファシズムはやめろ」と書かれたバナーなどを振っていた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】

〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/01/07-12:04）

Novak Djokovic is a victim of a political witch hunt, claimed Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday, as the father of the tennis superstar said his son had been crucified like Jesus Christ.
Djokovic was detained on arrival at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport on Wednesday having failed to provide appropriate evidence of double vaccination or a medical exemption to enter the country where he was hoping to defend his Australian Open title.
The 34-year-old world number one had his visa cancelled and is now facing deportation from the country.
He was forced to spend Thursday night at an immigration detention facility.
Vucic, though, claimed Djokovic was being hounded as other players had already been permitted to enter Australia with medical exemptions.
What is not fair play is the political witch hunt (being conducted against Djokovic), by everybody including the Australian Prime Minister pretending that the rules apply to all, Vucic told Serbian media.
In the Serbian capital Belgrade, Djokovic's father Srdjan led a demonstration alongside a few hundred others in front of the country's parliament.
We are not calling for violence... only for support for Novak, Srdjan shouted into a megaphone, as the crowd waved Serbian flags and homemade signs, including a banner that read: They are afraid of the best, stop corona fascism.
Djokovic met all the required conditions for the entry and participation at the tournament that he would have certainly won.
Since it's Novak, the best tennis player and sportsman in the world, the father told a press conference earlier Thursday.
Jesus was crucified and endured many things but is still alive among us. Novak is also crucified... the best sportsman and man in the world. He will endure.
Meanwhile, the Australian ambassador to Serbia was handed a verbal protest note over the inappropriate treatment of the player in Melbourne, the foreign ministry in Belgrade said.
Djokovic is not a criminal, terrorist or illegal migrant, but was treated that way by the Australian authorities which causes an understandable indignation of his fans and citizens of Serbia, a ministry statement said.
Vucic said earlier that Serbia's Prime Minister Ana Brnabic will be in touch with a senior member of Australia's Home Affairs department.
- 'Disgusting' -
The Serbians will ask the Australian authorities that at the very least Djokovic can stay, whilst his appeal is heard, in the house in Melbourne he had rented for the Australian Open (which runs from January 17 to January 30).
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, said Vucic.
Elsewhere in Belgrade, reactions to the fiasco appeared to be more mixed.
They do not let in their country people from other continents who have mud on their shoes let alone someone who is not vaccinated against a contagious disease, Mihailo Kljajic, a 29-year-old flight attendant, told AFP.
I don't know what he expected would happen, he added.
Others were appalled by the situation.
It is chaotic, crazy, disgusting, said Branka Vuksanovic, a pensioner.