Roman Polanski's Wife Asks Film Stars To Join Her Fight In Preventing Him from Being Extradited To The U.S.

Roman Polanski's wife has asked a host of film stars to join her fight to prevent the director being extradited to America. The 76-year-old Oscar-winner - who fled the U.S. to France in 1978 after being convicted of unlawful sex with a minor - was arrested on Saturday in Zurich, Switzerland, and faces being sent back to the U.S. so his actress wife Emmanuelle Seigner has begun compiling a petition calling for his release.

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Emmanuelle - who has spoken to her husband while he resides in a Swiss jail - is hoping A-list stars and important figures in the film industry will sign the sign the petition.

A source said: "Emmanuelle is outraged. She is rallying friends and colleagues from many years in the film industry."

British director Stephen Frears, actress Monica Bellucci and writer Robert Harris have already spoken out in support and Emmanuelle is convinced more stars will show their support.

In 1977, Roman pleaded guilty to charges of having underage sex with 13-year-old Samantha Gailey, now known as Samantha Geimer.

He believed he would face a jail term of just 42 days, and claimed a judge had reneged on a plea bargain deal to reduce the charges from rape and serious sexual assault if he admitted under-age sex.

Polanski - director of a host of acclaimed movies, including 1968's "Rosemary's Baby" - plied Samantha with alcohol and sedatives while photographing her for a magazine shoot at actor Jack Nicholson's Hollywood home. Nicholson was not present at the time of the incident.

Samantha - now a 45-year-old married mother - has previously asked prosecutors to drop the arrest warrant, while earlier this year lawyers acting for Polanski insisted the case should be dropped.

However, the Polish-born filmmaker was told he would have to appear in court in person, despite the original trial judge having been found guilty of misconduct.

Before the arrest, Polanski was set to pick up a lifetime achievement award at the Swiss city's film festival.

The Swiss Directors' Association branded Saturday's arrest "a cultural scandal."

However, the Swiss Justice Ministry insisted: "There was a valid arrest request. We knew when he was coming - that is why he was taken into custody. He is in provisional detention with view to extradition."