【英语国际】瑞士拒绝引渡 导演波兰斯基重获自由

Swiss authorities rejected a U.S. request to extradite Academy Award-winning director Roman Polanski, clearing the way for his release 10 months after his surprise detention in Zurich reopened a saga that began with his 1977 arrest in Los Angeles for having sex with a minor.

The Swiss Justice Ministry's rejection of the extradition request turned on the Swiss government's inability to determine whether Mr. Polanski had fulfilled his sentence before he fled the U.S.

The decision, and Mr. Polanski's release from custody Monday, was a blow for U.S. authorities who have been trying since the late 1970s to conclude their case against him.

Monday's decision doesn't prevent Los Angeles County prosecutors from continuing to pursue Mr. Polanski, but likely lessens the probability that other governments would cooperate in extradition proceedings.

The State Department sharply rebuked the Swiss decision, and said the Justice Department would decide what steps to take next.

'The rape of a 13-year-old girl by an adult who should know better, and that does know better, is a crime,' said State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley. 'We will continue to seek justice in this case, and we will evaluate our options.'

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a statement that his office would continue to seek Mr. Polanski's extradition if he was arrested in another country. He called the Swiss decision 'a disservice to justice.'

Mr. Polanski, director of such films as 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Chinatown,' has been at the center of a legal drama dating to 1977, when he pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. Before his sentencing, however, Mr. Polanski fled to France, where he mostly has lived since.

瑞士当局拒绝了美国方面提出的引渡奥斯卡获奖导演罗曼•波兰斯基(Roman Polanski)的请求，为释放波兰斯基铺平了道路。1977年，波兰斯基因与未成年人发生性关系在洛杉矶被捕，后来逃离美国。10个月前，波兰斯基在苏黎世突然被捕，再次揭开了这段往事。

瑞士司法部拒绝美国引渡请求的原因在于瑞士政府不能确定波兰斯基在逃离美国之前是否已经服刑。

瑞士的决定以及波兰斯基已于周一被释放的事实对美国当局是一记打击。美国当局自上世纪70年代末开始一直试图了结此案。

瑞士周一的决定并不妨碍洛杉矶县检察官继续追捕波兰斯基，但很可能使其它国家政府与美国就引渡程序进行合作的可能性降低。

美国国务院严厉批评了瑞士的决定，称司法部将决定下一步将采取什么行动。

美国国务院发言人克劳利(P.J. Crowley)说，一名成年人应当更了解强奸一名13岁的少女是一种犯罪行为。他是明知故犯。我们将继续伸张正义，并将就我们可能采取的行动进行评估。

洛杉矶县检察官库利(Steve Cooley)在声明中说，如果波兰斯基在另一个国家被捕，他的办公室将继续寻求引渡。他说瑞士的决定“有损公正”。

作为《罗丝玛丽的婴儿》(Rosemary's Baby)和《唐人街》(Chinatown)等影片的导演，波兰斯基一直是一起司法案件的核心人物。1977年，他承认与13岁的盖梅尔(Samantha Geimer)发生了非法性行为。然而，在法院宣判前，波兰斯基逃往法国，并从此定居于此。