Thierry Fremaux enlists Harvey Weinstein in Polanski petition
Harvey Weinstein has leant his support to a move by the French film-making community to petition against the possible US extradition of Roman Polanski following the Oscar winning director’s arrest in Zurich late on Saturday.
Weinstein immediately become involved when he was approached by Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux after Polanski was taken into custody in connection with the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl dating back to 1977.
“We’re calling on every film-maker we can to help fix this terrible situation,” Weinstein said. Sources close to The Weinstein Company said the mogul would reach out to Hollywood to lobby against any move to bring Polanski to the US, where he could face up to 50 years in jail.
It is understood the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office learned of Polanski’s trip to the Zurich Film Festival and presented an arrest warrant to Swiss authorities who promptly took him into custody. The Oscar winning director of The Pianist was due to give a masterclass at the festival on Sunday.
However the timing of the arrest has puzzled observers, who pointed out Polanski had owned a property in Switzerland and made a number of visits prior to his detention. Indeed the director’s agent, ICM chief Jeff Berg, said the film-maker was in Switzerland this summer editing The Ghost.
Swiss Justice Ministry spokesman Guido Balmer rejected suggestions that the arrest was political. Unsubstantiated online reports claim the incident may be a gambit by Switzerland to curry favour with US authorities in light of the unfolding tax evasion scandal involving the Swiss banking giant UBS and American account holders.
In a statement issued on Sunday Polanski’s attorneys said: “We were unaware of any extradition being sought and separate counsel will be retained for those proceedings.”
After Weinstein picked up international theatrical rights last January to the HBO documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired, which highlights legal irregularities in the case against the director, he intimated the film might play a part in getting the charges dropped.
Earlier this year a Los Angeles Superior Court Judge rejected Polanski’s attempt to do just that after the Polish director failed to appear in court in person, however the judge agreed there was “substantial misconduct” in the original hearing. An appeal is pending.
Polanski fled the US to France in 1978 after he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, now 45-year-old Samantha Geimer, who subsequently sued the director for an undisclosed amount and earlier this year called on authorities to drop the case against him.
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Readers' comments (6)
Frances Willington | 28-Sep-2009 10:22 am
It is outrageous that the Swiss have decided, without prior warning, to arrest Mr Polanski. However, it must be remembered that, wisely or not, he did please guilty to a very serious charge of child molestation. He is, and has been for a very long time, literally on the run from the american law. Children must be protected, laws must be upheld...without judicial protection and child welfare and care protection, the world descends into chaos.
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Anonymous | 28-Sep-2009 11:09 am
'The world descends into chaos.' There's a well thought-through objection to Polanski's arrest. He has not been 'for a very long time ... literally on the run', in fact everyone knew where he was, the American authorities just couldn't do anything about it.
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Ken Baker | 28-Sep-2009 7:45 pm
Many people writing here are confused: Mr. Polanski will not be extradited to be tried for an old crime: HE WAS CONVICTED OF THIS CRIME UNDER DUE PROCESS OF LAW. He was only awaiting sentencing or appeals when he fled. The facts of the case clear at the time and there was no doubt for the Jury. That is why he pleaded guilty.
Oh, and by the way, it is not up to Ms. Geimer to decide if he should be prosecuted or not. If he is a convicted child rapist, he is (or was) a risk to all of societies underage children and not just Ms. Geimer. Under the law the victim has no right to determine if a convicted rapist should or should not serve time. The only control a victim has is to testify or not to testify. The Defendant is Proscecuted by the Public Prosecutor in the Name of the People of the specific jurisdiction (California in this case).
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Brian Hughes | 29-Sep-2009 11:19 pm
This piece of human debris gave alcohol and drugs to a 13 year old girl and then raped her stealing her of her innocence! He should be sent straight to California and start his prison term. And while they are at it Polanski needs to be surgically neutered.
I would how the rest of you that are protecting this rapist and pedophile would feel it the 13 year old girl he raped had been your daughter. Polanski does not even deserve to take another breath as he is stealing good air from another human that needs that air.
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C Hop | 30-Sep-2009 1:05 pm
At what point are felons given prior warning that they are about to be arrested!?!?!
The backing of Polanski by filmmakers is something I simply cannot understand. Is it a one-for-all deal simply due to the fact that he is an accomplished filmmaker? It seems to be the only reason I could possibly come up with... This man regardless of life accomplishments is a CONVICTED PEDOPHILE. He hasn't paid any penance and has lived on the run for years.
How they caught him is no different than how they catch the d-bags on PREDATORS produced by his fellows in the industry. I only wish that could have been the case... Seeing the look on face when he was picked up must have been priceless.
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Michael Kahn | 1-Oct-2009 3:30 am
How many of you parents would leave your 13 year old alone for hours with a man alone to take nude pictures. Alone in a large mansion! Polanski should be punished and so should be the girls parents to allow such a thing to happen. They should be prosecuted for child neglect and abuse.
Would you leave your child in a lions den? This would never happen if girls parents were there to watch over her while she was being photoghraphed NUDE!
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