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Report: Freed Polanski will not be arrested in Germany

Jul 18, 2010, 11:21 GMT

Berlin - Roman Polanski,the Polish film director wanted on US child sex charges and freed last week by Switzerland, will not be arrested if he visits Germany, according to a magazine report Sunday.

Both his native Poland, and France - which has granted him citizenship - refuse to arrest Polanski on the US international warrant but Germany's position was previously unclear.

The magazine Focus quoted a spokesman for the Bonn-based German Agency for Justice, which handles arrest issues, saying, 'There is no 'wanted' notice for him in Germany. That was the decision of the federal government a considerable time ago.

'So if Mr Polanski comes here, he would not be arrested.'

Polanski, 76, was detained in Switzerland last year and placed under house arrest. Swiss Justice Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf said Monday he was free to go because there might by a 'fault' in the US extradition request.

The director is charged with having sex with a girl, 13, in 1977.