French President Nicolas Sarkozy has telephoned his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard for an update on the situation of French-Polish director Roman 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 fight against his extradition.
Polanski was taken into custody on September 26, 2009, in Zurich under an international arrest warrant. The 76-year-old is wanted in Los Angeles for sentencing in a child-sex case that began in 1977.
A California judge has denied a request to sentence Polanski in absentia, clearing the way for him to be returned to the US. Swiss officials have been waiting for the California proceedings to end before moving the case forward themselves.
Meanhwile, British actress Charlotte Lewis has claimed she was sexually abused by Polanski in 1982.
Polanski’s lawyer rejected the allegation as “a mere lie” and an attempt to blackmail his client.
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Polanski faces extradition after US ruling
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The decision paves the way for his extradition but Swiss justice officials are waiting for further information from the US before deciding whether to carry out the extradition order. Polanski is wanted in California for sentencing, having fled the country for France three decades ago. The 76-year-old was picked up by Swiss authorities on an…
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Swiss authorities on Friday, however, said the dossier is irrelevant to their decision on whether to send Polanski back. According to Polanski’s lawyers, the dossier contains transcripts of testimony by retired US Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson that would prove the extradition request is based on false and incomplete statements by the Los Angeles district…
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Well after he became a fugitive, the French-Polish filmmaker would come to the upmarket resort town to ski and live what locals say was largely a normal life. He hit the slopes with friends Jack Nicholson and Gunter Sachs. He mingled with townsfolk and eventually bought a modest chalet there. “He was always a very…
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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.