By Frank James
NPR
November 25, 2009
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/11/roman_polanski_to.html
A Swiss court has granted director Roman Polanski's request that he be released on bail from his detention in Switzerland on a U.S. fugitive warrant related to his rape of a 13-year old girl in California 32 years ago and his flight from the U.S. to avoid completing a prison sentence.
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| Roman Polanski Photo by Michel Euler |
Swiss jurists had earlier denied the 76-year old Polanski's request to be freed. But the court decided that he could be freed so long as special measures were taken to keep him from fleeing the country since he is a proven flight risk.
According to the Swiss news website "20 Minutes," besides electronic monitoring, Swiss officials have set bail at about $4.5 million, an amount they said constituted enough of his fortune to provide a strong disincentive to prevent his leaving Switzerland. In addition, Swiss officials have confiscated his passport.
Swiss authorities arrested Polanski in September 2009 for extradition to the U.S. after he entered the country from France where he has mostly lived since fleeing the U.S. 31 years ago.
As a French citizen, Polanski couldn't be extradited to the U.S. since French law protects its citizens from being handed over to U.S. authorities under most circumstances.
In October, U.S. officials formally requested his extradition back to the U.S. from Switzerland.
According to reports, Swiss Justice Ministry officials haven't decided whether to appeal Wednesday's court decision.
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