Poland rejects US request to extradite Roman Polanski in 40-year-old rape case

Warsaw: A court in Poland has ruled that the law forbids the extradition of filmmaker Roman Polanski to the US, where he pleaded guilty nearly four decades ago to having sex with a minor. The decision Friday by a judge in Krakow could close the case in Polanski’s favor, providing the US does not appeal it. [caption id=“attachment_2489570” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Roman Polanski . AP[/caption] But an appeal — if successful — could make an extradition likely, because the new Law and Justice party government to be installed in November has indicated there will be no leniency for Polanski, 83, as it makes a point of applying laws strictly and equally to all. Judge Dariusz Mazur said the case is very complicated but an extradition procedure would violate the human rights of Polanski because he could be subjected to confinement Polanski’s attorneys argued Friday that the US request has legal flaws and said the filmmaker already served a prison term under a deal with a Los Angeles judge. “This is not about justice or the interest of the victim,” attorney Jan Olszewski said. The director pleaded guilty in 1977 to one count of statutory rape for having sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles. He was ordered to undergo a psychiatric study at a state prison, where he served 42 days. Until now, the public opinion in Poland, Polanski’s childhood country, has been mostly in favor of the director considered a celebrity in Warsaw. He won an Academy Award for best director for his 2002 film The Pianist and was nominated for 1974’s Chinatown and 1979’s Tess. Polanski’s movements are restricted by an Interpol warrant in effect in 188 countries, but he is avoiding extradition by travelling between only France, Poland and Switzerland. AP