Roman Polanski's extradition on hold

Feb 15, 2010, 9:43 GMT

Roman Polanski's extradition to the US in on indefinite hold.

The film director is currently under house arrest in Switzerland in relation to a 30-year-old statutory rape conviction but authorities are unable to agree whether he needs to be present to be sentenced by an American court.

The Swiss Justice Ministry revealed he will not send the filmmaker back to the US until "a decision on the question of an in absentia trial is finalised".

Swiss Justice Ministry deputy director Rudolf Wyss added: "When the question is still open, why should Roman Polanski be extradited? As long as the question is still open, our decision depends on that.

"Even if we decide on extradition, he can still appeal. This would take many months."

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said they are currently looking into "somewhat conflicting news reports from Switzerland" over the extradition process.

However, the office refused to be drawn into the row, issuing a statement saying: "At present, this rests with the Swiss courts. We will comment after a ruling by the courts there, not before."

Last month, a court ruled that Polanski cannot be sentenced in absentia but his lawyers vowed to appeal.

In 1977, he pleaded guilty to charges of having underage sex with 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, now known as Samantha Geimer.

He believed he would face a jail term of just 42 days, and claimed a judge had reneged on a plea bargain deal to reduce the charges from rape and serious sexual assault if he admitted under-age sex.

On the day of his sentencing he fled to London then Paris as France does not have an extradition treaty to the US.

The 76-year-old film director was placed under house arrest in December, after being taken into custody in September while attending a film festival in Zurich.