Swiss Refuse To Extradite Roman Polanski

Swiss authorities have rejected the U.S. request to extradite director Roman Polanski, citing a flaw in the request – the U.S. had failed to turn over specific documents demanded by the Swiss. The Academy Award winning director of Chinatown had sex with a 13-year-old girl in the late 1970s, but quickly fled the country before sentencing.

He has been living in Europe since 1978 and has not returned to the United States since. Born in France, Polanski is not a U.S. citizen. The director was arrested last year in Switzerland when he arrived to accept a lifetime achievement award in Zurich. Polanski, who has a vacation home in Switzerland was put under house arrest until the extradition request could be processed. "I ask only to be treated fairly like anyone else," Polanski said in May.

According to the L.A. Times, Polanski purchased the house in 2006 and was a frequent visitor there, and though the U.S. authorities knew of this, they had not issued a warrant until September 2009. –ELENA COX