US wants Polanski extradited

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said in a statement that US authorities had asked for the extradition of the filmmaker, adding that Polanski might appeal against the decision.
“The US Embassy in Bern submitted the formal extradition request... within the deadline of 40 days stipulated under the bilateral extradition treaty,” the statement said.

The request will now be forwarded to the canton of Zurich, where Polanski was detained upon his arrival on September 26 to collect an award at the city’s film festival, reported BBC online. A local court will then hold a hearing and, “based on the results of the hearing and the information provided by Polanski’s lawyer,” the justice office will decide whether to accept the extradition request.

Earlier this week, Swiss authorities defended their action in informing the US that Polanski was travelling to Zurich.

The Swiss officials said they were obliged to take Polanski into custody after learning that the three decades-old warrant was still valid.