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Swiss court to rule on fate of Polanski 'within next weeks'
Ed Harris29 Sep 2009
Lawyers for Roman Polanski today began legal moves to have the director released from Swiss custody - the first step in his legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States for having sex with an underage girl.
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court announced the filing and said "the decision will be made within the next weeks".
Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman Guido Balmer said the court will decide on the legality of the American request for Polanski's apprehension.
It appeared that the 76-year-old could stay incarcerated throughout the proceedings and through any appeal.
Polanski was held in Switzerland on Saturday, causing an outcry from prominent European supporters.
The arrest also prompted questions about why US authorities chose to act now, even though Polanski had been living in Europe for decades.
Polanski today said he was determined to fight his detention in Switzerland and extradition to the US. His lawyer Herve Temime said the director was "in fighting mood" and he would seek his release "without delay".
He added that the director of Chinatown and The Pianist was "shocked and dumbfounded" by his arrest.
Mr Balmer said that the Justice Ministry and Polanski could seek to overturn any decision at the Federal Tribunal, Switzerland's highest court. "We will examine the ruling and then decide what we will do," he said, declining to speculate on if or when Polanski could get out of jail.
American prosecutors have disputed a claim by Polanski that they had never tried to arrest him after he fled overseas 31 years ago.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said it had made multiple contacts with several countries in efforts to seize the film-maker.
Chief Inspector Thomas Hession of the US Marshals Service said Polanski's arrest came now because authorities had advance knowledge and the opportunity.
Reader views (6)
Nabil H, London. The lady was given £127000 out of court settlement, for all we know it was one of the T&C's that she would drop all charges!
Rogan, Irving has it 100% correct, society has made this crime such a taboo few people would consider contemplating such a crime let alone defending it. Fame should not offer preferential treatment in the eyes of the law, we should all be judged on facts of what happened in regards to the crime rather than what job or fame we have.
IMHO Roman needed treatment away from the public even had previous events clouded his judgement he was clearly a threat to the public and for that reason the public needed protecting from a person who admitted to being mentally disturbed.
- Gary, Brentwood, 30/09/2009 09:52
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Nabil H, London, UK - that wasn't a simple crime against a person - it was against one of society's greatest taboos! You don't write that off.
- Rogan, Irving, 29/09/2009 17:12
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- Nabil H, London, UK
So celebrities can buy their way out of child abuse? Oh of course its been done before, so that ok they?
- Frank, Dorchester Dorset, 29/09/2009 17:02
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Meanwhile, the Swiss are playing a little game, trying to colour the extradition issue before the US Courts start thinking about extraditing Swiss bankers for abetting the tax frauds of their US clients.
- Bloke, Lambeth, 29/09/2009 16:58
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Release him and he would be a flight risk, as he has already demonstrated. Keep the man in custody until his extradition has been decided one way or another.
- Rogan, Irving, 29/09/2009 14:59
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The last word should be the victim's.
She accepted a settlement and wants to put this behind her.
Why are the FBI still pig headed about it?
and why is the Swiss judiciary cowardly indulging them?
- Nabil H, London, UK, 29/09/2009 14:34
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