James Allen News Center

No one can argue that Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski hasn`t had his share of misfortune, both privately and publicly. Well, looks like the 76-year-old auteur has just been dealt another significant blow, being arrested over the past weekend in Switzerland over a 31-year-old U.S. arrest warrant.

Despite Polanski`s claim that American prosecutors had never tried to nab him after he fled overseas over thirty years ago, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said it had contact with several countries in an effort to arrest the `Pianist` director.

Polanski's arrest in Switzerland on Saturday sparked an outcry from several European supporters asking why American authorities chose to act now, even though Polanski has been living and working openly in Europe for decades.

Polanski`s famous trial was found to be a gross injustice due to the behavior of the now-deceased judge during the case. According to Polanski`s lawyer, "the District Attorney's Office in the 30 years since Mr. Polanski left the jurisdiction, has not once sought to have him extradited. If it had, there would have been a hearing regarding the misconduct in this case."

Polanski's agent, Jeff Berg, also said he was unaware of any efforts to arrest Polanski before Saturday. He said the timing of the arrest "certainly appears unusual" given the fact that Polanski spent the summer in Switzerland, at his summer home. "How hard would it be to find someone shooting a major film in a European country?" continued Berg. "He travels with transparency across Europe. It makes no sense."

On Monday, France and Poland urged Switzerland to free him on bail and pressed U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Polanski has told Swiss officials that he will contest being returned to the United States.
"He was shocked, dumbfounded, but he is in a fighting mood and he is very determined to defend himself," said Polanski`s attorney, Herve Temime, in an e-mail.

Polanski exchanged wedding rings with Emmanuelle Seigner in 1989. According to Berg, she remains strong and optimistic about the outcome.