Polanski's arrest sinister: France

French and Polish foreign ministers write to US Secy of State to protest against the director's arrest in a 32-year-old rape case

French and Polish foreign ministers write to US Secy of State to protest against the director's arrest in a 32-year-old rape case

Was Roman Polanski "thrown to the lions because of ancient history?" That's what France's culture minister says, and many French people agree.
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France has rushed to the filmmaker's defence since he was arrested this weekend in Switzerland on a three-decade-old charge of having sex with a 13-year-old girl.
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French ministers and France's cultural world have lauded Polanski as a great artist, a family man and a survivor of countless hardships who deserves peace at 76.

Bernard Kouchner, France's foreign minister, and his Polish counterpart Radek Sikorski, jointly wrote to Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, to protest against the arrest of the Oscar-winning director who has dual French and Polish nationality. "This affair is frankly a bit sinister. This is not nice at all," Kouchner said.

Frederic Mitterrand, the French Culture Minister, claimed Polanski had been "trapped and thrown to the lions" and his arrest was "absolutely horrifying".

Past Tense: A sign on a man's shirt during the Zurich film festival yesterday. Polanski was arrested on September 26 after he flew in to Zurich to collect a lifetime achievement award at the festival.

He said, "In the same way there is a generous America that we like, there is also a scary America that has just shown its face."

Polanski (76), was held at the request of US authorities who want him extradited for having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

The warrant originated with the Los Angeles County district attorney's office who have been tracking Polanski for years.

They acted after spotting that tickets for an appearance by him at the Zurich film festival in Switzerland were being sold on the Internet.

LA County District Attorney Steve Cooley claimed a California court had been "very, very, very lenient" with Polanski three decades ago and "some form of justice will finally be done".

Arrest 'Illegal'

Polanski's French lawyer, Herve Temime, claimed the arrest was "illegal" and said he would fight extradition.

Temime said, "He was shocked, dumfounded, but he is in a fighting mood he is a man who has gone through many trials in his life.

There is no reason in law, or regarding the facts or in terms of the most basic justice, to keep Roman Polanski a single day in prison."