“Kosovo, heart of Serbia”: Djokovic sanctioned after his political position at Roland-Garros?

2023-05-30 02:08:48

“Kosovo is the heart of Serbia! Stop the violence. » Here is the message left by Novak Djokovic after his victory, this Monday, at Roland-Garros, face à Aleksander Kovacevic, on the traditional camera dedicated to player signatures. A very political message – not new for the tennis player – as relations between Serbia and Kosovo have been marked in recent weeks by a new resurgence of tension.

“As the son of a man born in Kosovo, I feel an additional responsibility to give my support to our people and to all of Serbia”, justified Novak Djokovic in a press conference. In 2008, while Kosovo had declared its independence, the Serb had already recorded a message in which he referred to this independence as “one of the most difficult in the history” of the country. “We are ready to defend what belongs to us”, assured the tennis player.

Towards legal proceedings against Djokovic?

As France Info points out on its website, Novak Djokovic faces prosecution. There ethical charter of the French Tennis Federation, organizer of the tournament, thus provides that “all tennis players must consider as a moral duty the refusal of all forms of violence and cheating”, citing “non-exhaustively” religious or political opinions. “We’ll see, and talk to him to find out what he really meant. No precipitation. We are going to put things in perspective”, reacted Monday evening the director of the tournament Amélie Mauresmo, on the program “Coté court” of France televisions on Twitch.

For a few days, the situation is very tense in northern Kosovo, where many members of the majority Serbian community in four towns in this region do not recognize the authority of Pristina and are loyal to Belgrade. At least 25 members of the international force led by NATO in Kosovo were injured on Monday. More than 50 Serbs were injured, two of them seriously, announced RTS, Serbian state television. Another person is in critical condition, according to the same source.

Serbia has never recognized the independence proclaimed in 2008 by its former province and tensions flare up regularly. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Friday ordered the army to be on high alert and “move” towards the border with Kosovo, as has been the regular case in recent years. years.