The Pianist director Roman Polanski was arrested and faces extradition to the United States, but he’s not going without a fight.

COLOGNE, Germany — Roman Polanski has refused to be extradited from Switzerland to the United States over a decades-old underage sex case, the lawyer for the Oscar-winning director of “The Pianist” said Monday.

In a statement, Polanski’s French lawyer Herve Temime said he would ask Swiss authorities to release the 76-year-old director immediately.

“After that his defense team will demonstrate the illegal nature of the extradition request he is facing,” the statement said.

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“He is in fighting mood and determined to defend himself,” Temime told France Info radio, adding his client was stunned by the arrest as he was a regular visitor to Switzerland, with a chalet at the ski resort of Gstaad. In fact, the director was in Switzerland earlier this summer, editing his upcoming feature “The Ghost.”

“We have begun by requesting his release, which should be done today in principle,” Temime said. “There is no reason in law, or regarding the facts or in terms of the most basic justice to keep Roman Polanski a single day in prison.”

A spokesman for the Swiss Justice Ministry told THR that it was now up to the federal Swiss court to decide whether or not to grant bail.

“Swiss rules do not rule it out (release on bail), but it is only granted exceptionally” the spokesman said.

The U.S. authorities have up to 60 days to make a firm extradition request, but Polanski can appeal to the Swiss Federal Penal Court of Justice. A court spokeswoman said Monday it had not yet received any request on the Polanski case.

Film and political heavyweights — from Harvey Weinstein and Cannes Festival head Thierry Fremaux to the foreign ministers of France and Poland — have expressed outrage at Polanski’s arrest, which happened Saturday as he arrived in Switzerland to attend the Zurich Film Festival.

The director, who has dual French and Polish citizenship, is being held in connection to a 1977 case involving the sexual abuse of a 13-year girl. Polanski pled guilty to unlawful intercourse with a minor but fled the U.S. in 1978 after a Los Angeles judge indicated he planned to reject a plea agreement and punish Polanski more severely for the crime. Polanski has lived in France for decades to avoid arrest. The 2008 documentary “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” presented new evidence of legal misconduct in the case. Polanski’s lawyers, and the victim, Samantha Geimer, have called on the courts to have the charges thrown out.

This is an age old case, it’s almost strange to see it come up again and again. What do you think? Does he need to come back to the USA and go on trial? He did plead guilty.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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