A Polish court has rejected a US request for the extradition of film director Roman Polanski over his child sex crime conviction. "
[Polanski's] extradition is inadmissible," said Judge Dariusz Mazur at the district court in the southern city of Krakow.
The decision is not legally binding, as prosecutors can appeal.
The Oscar-winning director pleaded guilty in 1977 to having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles fuelled by champagne and drugs.
He served 42 days in jail as part of a 90-day plea bargain, but fled the country for France the following year, believing that the judge hearing his case could overrule the deal and impose a longer prison sentence.