Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland

Noted Polish-born film director Roman Polanski has been arrested in Switzerland under a 31-year-old US arrest warrant and may be extradited to face sex abuse charges, police in Zurich said on Sunday. Organizers of the Zurich Film Festival say he was detained by police on Saturday, September 26, 2009. In this file photo, Polanski is seen at the burial ceremony for French film maker Claude Berri in Montrouge, outside Paris, in this Jan. 15, 2009. (Photo: AP)

In this August 8,1977 file photo, director Roman Polanski is shown entering court in Santa Monica, where he entered a guilty plea to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year old girl. Polanski was arrested by Swiss police as he flew in for the Zurich Film Festival and faces possible extradition to the United States for having sex in 1977 with a 13-year-old girl, authorities said on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009. Polanski was scheduled to receive an honorary award at the festival when he was apprehended Saturday at the airport, the Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement. It said US authorities have sought the arrest of the 76-year-old director around the world since 2005. (Photo: AP)

Film Director Roman Polanski, and his attorney Douglas Dalton stand in Courtroom in this August 9,1977 file photo taken in Santa Monica, Calif. After Polanski entered a guilty plea to having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl. In 1977, Polanski, then aged 44, became embroiled in a scandal involving 13-year-old Samantha Gailey (now known as Samantha Geimer). It ultimately led to Polanski's guilty plea to the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

In this May 6, 2008 file photo, Samantha Geimer arrives at the premiere of the HBO Documentary 'Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired' in New York. Director Roman Polanski, who was accused of having sex in 1977 with the then 13-year-old Geimer, was arrested by Swiss police late on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, as he flew in for the Zurich Film Festival and faces possible extradition to the United States.

According to Geimer, Polanski asked Geimer's mother if he could photograph the girl for the French edition of Vogue, which Polanski had been invited to guest-edit. Her mother allowed a private photo shoot. According to Geimer in a 2003 interview, "Everything was going fine; then he asked me to change, well, in front of him." She added, "It didn't feel right, and I didn't want to go back to the second shoot."

Geimer later agreed to a second session, which took place on March 10, 1977 at the Mulholland area home of actor Jack Nicholson in Los Angeles. "We did photos with me drinking champagne," Geimer says. "Toward the end it got a little scary, and I realized he had other intentions and I knew I was not where I should be. I just didn't quite know how to get myself out of there." Geimer testified that Polanski performed various sexual acts on her, after giving her a combination of champagne and quaaludes. In the 2003 interview, Geimer says she resisted. "I said no several times, and then, well, gave up on that." (Photo: AP)

In this Sept. 19,1977 file photo, Director Roman Polanski is shown leaving court in Santa Monica, Calif., after being ordered to undergo a 90 day diagnostic study at a state prison. Polanski was initially charged with rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under 14, and furnishing a controlled substance (methaqualone) to a minor. These charges were dismissed under the terms of his plea bargain, and he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

Following the plea agreement, according to the aforementioned documentary, the court ordered Polanski to report to a state prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation, but granted a stay of ninety days to allow him to complete his current project. Under the terms set by the court, he was permitted to travel abroad. On February 1, 1978, Polanski fled to London, where he maintained residency. A day later he traveled on to France, where he held citizenship, avoiding the risk of extradition to the US by Britain. (Photo: AP)

Movie director Roman Polanski talks with correctional officers in this Dec. 17, 1977 file photo taken at Chino Mens Institute in Chino, Calif. Polanski, who pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl was beginning a court ordered 90-day psychiatric study at the time.

Polanski never returned to England, and later sold his home in absentia. Polanski has avoided visits to countries that are likely to extradite him (such as the UK) and before his visit to Zurich, mostly traveled and worked in France, Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. (Photo: AP)

Film director Roman Polanski is seen as he leaves court in this Oct. 25, 1977 file photo taken in Santa Monica, California. In a 2003 interview, Samantha Geimer said, "Straight up, what he did to me was wrong. But I wish he would return to America so the whole ordeal can be put to rest for both of us." Furthermore, "I'm sure if he could go back, he wouldn't do it again. He made a terrible mistake but he's paid for it". (Photo: AP)

In this May 19, 2007 file photo, French director Roman Polanski arrives for the screening of the film 'No Country For Old Men,' at the 60th International film festival in Cannes, southern France. (Photo: AP) In 2008, Geimer stated in an interview that she wishes Polanski would be forgiven, "I think he's sorry, I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society. I don't think he needs to be locked up forever and no one has ever come out ever - besides me - and accused him of anything. It was 30 years ago now. It's an unpleasant memory ... (but) I can live with it."

In this Nov. 14 2008 file photo, Polish-born filmmaker Roman Polanski arrives for the opening ceremony at the 8th Marrakech Film Festival in Marrakech. In December 2008, Polanski's lawyer in the United States filed a request to Judge David S. Wesley to have the case dismissed on the grounds of judicial and prosecutorial misconduct. (Photo: AP)

In this Nov. 21, 2008 file photo, Director Roman Polansky. center, waves at the screening of Director Oliver Stone's film "W." at the XXVI Turin Film Festival in Turin, Italy. In January 2009, Polanski's lawyer filed a further request to have the case dismissed, and to have the case moved out of Los Angeles, as the Los Angeles courts require him to appear before the court for any sentencing or dismissal, and Polanski will not appear. That same month, Samantha Geimer filed to have the charges against Polanski dismissed from court, saying that decades of publicity as well as the prosecutor's focus on lurid details continues to traumatize her and her family. (Photo: AP)

A 1960's file photo taken in London shows French director of Polish origin Roman Polanski (L) and his wife US actress Sharon Tate. On September 26, 2009 Polanski was arrested by Swiss police at Zürich Airport while trying to enter Switzerland, in relation to his outstanding 1978 US arrest warrant for the rape of Geimer. Polanski had hoped to attend the Zurich Film Festival to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. The arrest followed a request by the United States that Switzerland apprehend Polanski. The United States had been seeking his arrest worldwide since 2005. The United States must make a formal extradition request to have Polanski extradited and stand trial. (Photo: AFP)

A file photo taken on May 24, 2002 shows Polish-born, French director Roman Polanski and his companion actress Emmanuelle Seigner posing as they arrive at the gala screening of the film 'The pianist' during the 55th Cannes film festival. The Swiss Justice Ministry said Polanski was put "in provisional detention." But whether he can be extradited to the United States "can be established only after the extradition process judicially has been finalised," a ministry spokesman said in an e-mail to CNN. (Photo: AFP)

A file photo taken on October 17, 2005 shows Polish-born Oscar-winning film director Roman Polanski of France posing with his girlfriend Emmanuelle Seigner in Paris, prior to the preview of 'Oliver Twist', his latest film which is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel 'Oliver Twist'. In his illustrious career as a filmmaker, Polanski has won several honours and awards around the world, notably the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award at the Cannes Film Festival for The Pianist In May 2002, for which he also took Césars for Best Film and Best Director, and later won the 2002 Academy Award for Directing. He did not attend the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood because he would have been arrested once he set foot in the United States. After the announcement of the "Best Director Award", Polanski received a standing ovation from most of those present in the theater. In 2004, he received the Crystal Globe award for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. (Photo: AFP)

A file photo taken on May 19, 2005 shows Polish-born French director Roman Polanski posing as he arrives for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AMFAR) "Cinema Against AIDS" benefit in Le Moulin de Mougins, on the sidelines of the 58th Cannes International Film Festival. Polanski is currently directing an adaptation of Harris' 'The Ghost', a novel about a writer who stumbles upon a secret while ghosting the autobiography of a former British prime minister. It will star Ewan McGregor as the writer and Pierce Brosnan as the prime minister. Filming takes place in Germany. 'The Ghost' is being co-produced as of February 2009 by the Babelsberg Studios. (Photo: AFP)

(Text: Agencies, with additional inputs from Wikipedia)