Roman Polanski was released on bail

Contrary to predictions, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court granted the request of lawyers director Roman Polanski on his provisional release from jail on bail of 4.5 million francs.

This decision was made exactly two months after the arrest Polanski in Zurich – in accordance with international arrest warrant. Recall that the American Themis accuses producer of molestation in December 1977, 13-year-old model Samantha gamer. The Swiss Ministry of Justice can appeal against the ruling of the Federal Court. Until now, the police feared that, once outside, Polansky into hiding in France, where he has lived. If Polanski go out free, he will have to stay in Switzerland and wait for a decision on his extradition to the United States. Apparently, he will live in his villa in the resort of Gstaad and placed under electronic surveillance – in other words, wear special handcuffs.

The further course of the case depends largely on the decision to adopt a California court on December 10. According to experts, 76-year-old Polanski should not count on the indulgence. American justice does not take into account extenuating circumstances. It ignores the calls of 45-year-old Samantha, a mother of three children, received from Polanski smart half a million dollars to leave the director alone.

According to the lawyer Herve Temima, Roman grin and bear the blows of fate. All this time in prison he was visited by his wife – a famous French actress Emmanuelle Seigner – and two children – 11 and 16 years. According to some lawyers, the director can not avoid trial in the United States. However, the same lawyer Herve Temim made a broad statement: “Polanski did not agree to the expulsion of the United States.” However, Switzerland and the United States binds relevant bilateral convention on mutual extradition. If thirty years ago, Polanski was threatening 50-year prison sentence, according to Herve Temim, today – in the case of extradition – just two … Arguments for protection against extradition, according to experts, is highly questionable. One of the arguments – dismissal of the statute of limitations period of the crime. Another – a reference to “bias” the California judge in 1977.

Meanwhile, a noisy campaign for Polanski, which launched the European cultural figures, led by Frederic Mitterrand, the French minister, began to decline. Thus, the British film star Emma Thompson has demanded to withdraw its signature on a petition for the release of the director. A famous French philanthropist – the former director of the Paris Opera, Pierre Berge – just said: “This man committed a crime and should be punished.”