Director Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland

ZURICH - 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 Sunday.

The director, who has been wanted since 1978 in the US on charges of having sex with a 13-year-old girl, had been due to receive a prize at the Zurich Film Festival, but was arrested as he arrived at Zurich airport Saturday evening.

Justice ministry spokesman Guido Balmer confirmed that Swiss authorities were acting on a US arrest warrant, and said that the ministry was considering if and when to extradite the 76-year-old to the US.

Polanksi has been to Switzerland several times before, without the authorities acting on the US warrant.

However, Balmer said that “we knew this time exactly when he was coming”.

Polanksi fled the US after admitting to having drugged and abused the 13-year-old in the Hollywood mansion of Jack Nicholson in 1977. He has not returned to the US since. He is now a French citizen.

In May, Polanksi failed in his attempt to have the charges against him dropped, when the California court insisted he appear in person. Polanksi claims misconduct of judicial authorities in the original case.

Polanksi, born in Poland, is best known for his work in “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968) and “The Pianist” (2002).