Lawyer: Polanski will fight extradition to U.S.

Roman Polanski, the 76-year-old director of films such as The Pianist and Rosemary's Baby, now finds himself in the midst of an international "tug-of war" as he faces extradition from Switzerland to the United States to face justice for an act of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl that took place in 1977.

On the day of sentencing in 1978 Polanski became aware that the judge was planning to sentence him to more prison time than was originally agreed upon and so fled to France who has refused to extradite him for 30 years. However, on Saturday he was arrested on an international warrant when he arrived in Zurich to attend a film festival where he would be accepting a lifetime achievement award. Now France and Poland have urged Swiss officials to release the director on bail and pressed United States officials as high up as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

The arrest has sparked an outcry from filmmakers and actors across Europe. One petition circulating through France states, "It seems inadmissible...that an international cultural evening, paying homage to one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers, is used by police to apprehend him."

Polanski has told Swiss officials that he plans to contest the U.S. request for extradition. Attorney Herve Temime said the director's legal team would try to prove that the United States' request was illegal and that Polanski should be released from Swiss custody.

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By Anna Mandrell