Polanski will not agree to extradition, lawyer says

Polanski, 76, is being held in a Swiss prison pending a decision on a U.S. extradition request. He fled the United States in 1978 while awaiting sentencing for having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.

His lawyer, Herve Temime, told Le Figaro that Polanski had already been punished for the original offence after undergoing psychiatric tests during a 42-day period in detention in California in 1978.

He said the fact that the offence took place more than 30 years ago should also weigh in any decision on extradition.

“We also maintain that Mr Polanski did not face a fair trial in Los Angeles,” he said. “For all these reasons, among others, his position remains unchanged: he will not accept being extradited to the United States.”

Polanski faces up to two years in a U.S. prison if he is extradited but if he does not agree to go voluntarily, the process could take many months or even years.

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