ZURICH — Roman Polanski was denied bail yesterday by a Swiss court that said the filmmaker has a strong motivation to flee the country to avoid extradition to the United States, where he faces up to 50 years in jail for having sex with a minor.
There is a high risk Polanski, 76, would flee because his family and work would suffer from a long prison sentence, the Swiss court said.
An offer to use the director’s house at a Swiss ski resort to secure bail was rejected by the court.
The detention of Polanski during the entire extradition proceedings is the law, Swiss Federal Criminal Court Judge Cornelia Cova said in the ruling. This allows Switzerland to meet the obligations of its extradition treaties.
The ruling is the second time Polanski was denied bail since his arrest at Zurich Airport on Sept. 26.
Polanski, whose films include “The Pianist” and “Chinatown,” faces jail in California for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. He fled the United States in 1978, before he could be sentenced.
Polanski’s lawyers are studying yesterday’s decision, Herve Temime, a member of his legal team in Paris, said by phone.
One of his lawyers in Zurich, Lorenz Erni, wasn’t available for comment.
The same court will rule on an extradition request from the US Justice Department at a later date. Both the bail and extradition decisions may be appealed to the Swiss Supreme Court in Lausanne.
Polanski was first charged on six felony counts alleging he drugged and raped the child. He later pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Erni had argued that continuing to detain Polanski could lead to financial ruin for the director and his family, if it prevented him from finishing his film “The Ghost.”