Swiss Government Rejects US Request for Polanski Extradition
The Swiss government has rejected a U.S. request for the extradition of director Roman Polanski, a fugitive from charges relating to his having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl.
Polanski, 76, had been under house arrest in Switzerland, but now “the freedom-restricting measures have been revoked,” according to a statement by the Swiss Justice Ministry quoted by the Associated Press, the New York Times blog Arts Beat and Bloomberg.
Polanski had fled the United States in 1978 before he was sentenced for unlawful sex with a minor. As part of his effort to fight extradition, Polanski’s lawyers had accused the now-deceased judge in the case of misconduct.
According to AP, the Swiss criticized U.S. authorities for failing to provide confidential testimony about Polanski’s sentencing procedure. The Swiss statement also said national interests were taken into consideration in its decision.
