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Roman Polanski 'held in Zurich'
Film director Roman Polanski has been taken into custody on a 31-year-old US arrest warrant, organisers of the Zurich Film Festival have said
The organisers say Polanski, 76, was detained by police on Saturday as he travelled to Switzerland from France to collect a lifetime achievement award.
Police in Zurich could not immediately confirm the information.
Mr Polanski admitted unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, but fled to France before sentencing.
He was initially indicted on six felony counts and faced up to life in prison.
In recent years, he has tried to have the rape case dismissed, but a US judge formally rejected that request in May.
Judge Peter Espinoza agreed there was misconduct by the judge in the original case, but said Mr Polanski must return to the US to apply for dismissal.
Mr Polanski's lawyers said he would not return to the US because he would be immediately arrested as a fugitive.
The Polish-born filmmaker has not set foot in the US for more than 30 years. He has even avoided shooting in the UK for fear of extradition.
His Oscar for directing 2002's The Pianist was collected by Harrison Ford.
The organisers of the Zurich Film Festival said Polanski's detention had caused "shock and dismay," but that they would go ahead with a planned retrospective of the director's work on Sunday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8277176.stm
Film director Roman Polanski has been taken into custody on a 31-year-old US arrest warrant, organisers of the Zurich Film Festival have said
The organisers say Polanski, 76, was detained by police on Saturday as he travelled to Switzerland from France to collect a lifetime achievement award.
Police in Zurich could not immediately confirm the information.
Mr Polanski admitted unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977, but fled to France before sentencing.
He was initially indicted on six felony counts and faced up to life in prison.
In recent years, he has tried to have the rape case dismissed, but a US judge formally rejected that request in May.
Judge Peter Espinoza agreed there was misconduct by the judge in the original case, but said Mr Polanski must return to the US to apply for dismissal.
Mr Polanski's lawyers said he would not return to the US because he would be immediately arrested as a fugitive.
The Polish-born filmmaker has not set foot in the US for more than 30 years. He has even avoided shooting in the UK for fear of extradition.
His Oscar for directing 2002's The Pianist was collected by Harrison Ford.
The organisers of the Zurich Film Festival said Polanski's detention had caused "shock and dismay," but that they would go ahead with a planned retrospective of the director's work on Sunday.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8277176.stm