Extradition hearing: Roman Polanski’s fate to be determined by Polish court

The 81-year-old filmmaker attended a closed door hearing Wednesday in a Polish court set to rule on his extradition to the United States where he faces sentencing for the 1977 rape of a 13-year-old girl. Another hearing is expected as soon as April. If the judge in this hearing refuses to hand Polanski over, the case is closed. If he allows the extradition, the final decision will belong to the justice minister. Polanski had been in France, where, as a citizen, he could not be extradited, even though international law enforcement has put out multiple bulletins for his arrest.

We are unlikely to have a decision today.

Judge Dariusz Mazur

Polanski’s lawyers had petitioned the court to consider evidence from a 2009 case in Switzerland that saw him released after nine months under house arrest following a similar U.S. extradition demand. Polish prosecutors argue there are legal grounds for the extradition to go ahead, despite a statute of limitations under Polish law on child sex crimes.

Celebrity Roman Polanski