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Will Djokovic be jailed? Star could face 5 years in prison for LYING about Covid positive test

Novak Djokovic has been mired with controversies since he arrived in Australia on January 5 without getting Covid-19 vaccinations

It seems trouble is not going to leave Novak Djokovic anytime soon as the latest update is that he apparently lied about his positive Covid test and if it’s been proved, he could have to spend five years behind bars in Australia. It has been revealed that the world no 1 gave wrong information about his infection on the declaration form and also met people while being positive.

According to a sworn court affidavit relied upon by the Federal Circuit Court, the Serbian native stated that he got to know about his positive test result on December 16, 2021. “On 16 December 2021, I was tested and diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 (Covid),” he said. But later in a public statement shared on Instagram, he claimed that he was made aware of the report on December 17. And if it is proved that he lied to the Australian government, he could face jail because under the nation’s Crimes Act, giving misleading information to the court is a punishable offense.

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Also, his apparent changing statements regarding his positive test result have raised questions about his conduct in his home country. Because the day on which he allegedly got to know about his infection, he attended a stamp unveiling in his own honor, and on December 17, he was spotted at a Belgrade Tennis Federation awards ceremony, where he interacted with young players. He also attended a photoshoot on December 18.

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has reacted to Djokovic’s alleged careless behavior. She told BBC, “If you're positive you have to be in isolation,” before adding, “I do not know when he actually got the results, when he saw the results, so there is some grey area… the only answer to this can be provided by Novak.”

But Djokovic has blamed his agent for the apparent false declaration. The 34-year-old wrote in the statement shared on his Instagram page, “My agent sincerely apologizes for the administrative mistake in ticking the incorrect box about my previous travel before coming to Australia. This was a human error and certainly not deliberate.”

Djokovic has been mired with controversies since he arrived in Australia on January 5 without getting Covid-19 vaccinations. He reportedly thought that since he tested positive a few weeks ago, he is eligible for a valid medical exemption to vaccination rules. But border guards took away his visa and detained him. Later, however, a court ruled in his favor and called the border guards' action “unreasonable”. However, his fate is still in the hands of immigration minister Alex Hawke, who can use his power and send Djokovic back to his home country. Hawke’s decision is expected to come by Thursday, January 13.

Meanwhile, the whole saga has attracted a lot of attention online with people reacting to the recent development. A user tweeted, “Djokovic got Covid and still attended events and then lied on his travel documents, but he wants you to believe that the Australian government are the bad guys? The arrogance.” Another one said, “#DjokovicOut if he had any balls he would admit he has lied and tried to get around the Covid rules, and stop blaming his agent for the mistake on the visa documents.#Novak_Djokovic.” “Djokovic has lied about every single thing, every step of the way. He entered Australia illegally, and has lied on all the forms to get into the country and to play in the tournament. Despicable Covid-spreader. #deportnovak #DjokovicOut,” the third user slammed.