French appeal for Polanski's release

Published: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:13:12

French authorities have appealed to US secretary of state Hillary Clinton for the release of filmmaker Roman Polanski. The 76-year-old was arrested in Switzerland on Sunday in relation over his 1977 conviction for unlawful intercourse with a minor but politicians have come out in support of the Paris-born Polish director. While the Swiss government - which has an extradition agreement with the US - said it had no choice but to enforce an international arrest warrant, the foreign ministers of both France and Poland have written to Mrs Clinton calling for Polanski's release.

Polanski's French lawyer Herve Termine said the Chinatown helmer was "in a fighting mood and determined to defend himself". "We have begun by requesting his release," he added in a statement. "After that, his defence team will demonstrate the illegal nature of the extradition request he is facing.

"There is no legal reason based on the facts or the most basic principles of justice to keep Roman Polanski in prison for even a single day." Polanski pleaded guilty in 1977 to having sex with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer but fled the country before sentencing and now lives in Paris, which has limited extradition with the US. He was arrested on Sunday at the Zurich film festival, where he was due to receive a lifetime achievement award, and his detainment has been criticised by festival judge and actress Debra Winger.

"We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade-old case that is all but dead but for minor technicalities," she told the Hollywood Reporter.

"We stand by and wait for his release and his next masterwork." She was one of several signatories to a petition calling for Polanski's release, with other supporters including studio chief Harvey Weinstein, Cannes film festival president Gilles Jacob, Italian actress Monica Bellucci and directors Costa-Gavras, Wong Kar Wai and Bertrand Tavernier.

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