Polish Authorities Have Rejected A U.s. Bid To Extradite Troubled Director Roman Polanski Back To America Over A Historic Sex Crime Conviction.
American officials have spent years trying to get the Rosemary's Baby moviemaker back to the States to be punished for his 1977 conviction, as he fled the country before he could be sentenced for having unlawful sex with a minor, a charge he pleaded guilty to.
Polish officials first received an extradition request in October, 2014 but it was rejected and another was filed by U.S. authorities in January (15). The second bid has been under deliberation for months, with hearings on the case being regularly pushed back.
The district court in Krakow finally issued a ruling on Friday (30Oct15), and the request was rejected. Judge Dariusz Mazur said, "(Polanski's) extradition is inadmissible" as it would violate the director's human rights.
The ruling is not legally binding, and prosecutors have seven days to file an appeal. If the appeal is unsuccessful, Polanski, who has Polish and French citizenship, will be able to continue to shoot his latest movie in Poland.
The 82-year-old director did not attend the court hearing "because of emotional reasons" his lawyer Jan Olszewski told the judge. She also criticised the latest extradition request, saying, "This is not about justice or the interest of the victim."
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