Swiss authorities have moved filmmaker Roman Polanski from prison to an undisclosed location before his transfer to house arrest.
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Polanski left the prison near Zurich on Thursday for “security reasons and personal protection” ahead of his scheduled release on Friday, Federal Justice Office spokesman Folco Galli said.
Galli declined to say where he was being held but noted that he was still expected to be taken to his chalet in Gstaad on Friday afternoon.
The 76-year-old director must stay in the house and wear an electronic bracelet as officials decide whether to extradite him to the United States for sentencing after being convicted of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.
He had to pay the full SFr4.5 million ($4.5 million) bail before being released to his chalet.
Polanski was picked up more than two months ago at Zurich airport after arriving for a film festival in the city.
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Roman Polanski granted bail
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But Polanski will remain in jail in Zurich until the Federal Justice Office decides whether to file an appeal. It has ten days to do so. On Wednesday evening Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf told Swiss television she saw no reason to appeal against the court’s decision. In a statement, the court said it accepted Polanski’s…
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The organisers said they wanted to recall Polanski’s immense talent as a director and his contribution to film history, rather than discuss the ins and outs of the ongoing legal case. But there was sharp criticism of the Swiss authorities over the director’s arrest. The arrest of Polanski in September was a bombshell that “shocked”…
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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.
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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.