Swiss officials say a decision has been taken whether to hand over Roman Polanski to the United States to face prosecution in a 1977 sex case.
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A justice ministry spokesman said an announcement on the extradition request would not be long. However, he declined to elaborate.
The 76-year-old film director fled the US in 1978, when he was to be formally sentenced for having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
He was arrested last September as he came to receive a lifetime achievement award at a Zurich film festival.
He has been under house arrest at his chalet in the mountain resort of Gstaad since December, when he was released on SFr4.5 million ($4.2 million) bail.
Polanski will be allowed to appeal extradition, according to a report in the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.
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Sarkozy calls Leuthard over Polanski
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In addition to the extradition request for Polanski, the two discussed Leuthard’s visit to Paris, planned for the second half of June, according to a statement from the economics ministry on Friday. On May 11 a United States judge rejected a request by Polanski’s lawyers to open sealed testimony which they hoped would help their…
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The Oscar winner is under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad while awaiting possible extradition to the United States for sentencing in a child-sex case stemming from 1977. “Thirty-three years ago I pleaded guilty, served my sentence in a normal prison, not a VIP jail, which should have covered the entirety of my term.…
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On Monday an appeal court rejected his bid to have a three-decades-old child-sex case tossed out of court but suggested legal options that could lead to his freedom. Although the California 2nd District Court of Appeals rejected a request from both Polanski and his victim, Samantha Geimer, to have the 32-year-old case dismissed outright, it…
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The 76-year-old traded the confines of jail near Zurich on Friday for house arrest at his CHF1.6-million ($1.6 million) chalet in the chic Alpine resort after posting bail of CHF4.5 million. Polanski will remain there until officials decide whether to extradite him to the United States, where he is wanted for sentencing in a case…
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Roman Polanski has a long history in the cinema as both an actor and director, starting in his native Poland in the 1950s. His best known films include Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown and The Pianist.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here. Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.