He was taken into custody on Saturday (26Sep09) on a 1978 U.S. warrant, which was issued after Polanski pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

Polanski fled to France before sentencing in 1978 and has been unable to travel to the U.S. since the warrant was issued.

The 76 year old was held upon his arrival in Switzerland, where he was due to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday (27Sep09).

Polanski, a French citizen, had been battling to have the case thrown out in recent months, but a U.S. judge formally rejected his requests in May (09).

He has vowed to fight extradition to the U.S. after the incident in Switzerland.

He has hired a top legal team to battle the extradition request and free him on bail amid anger from his fellow film-makers over the arrest after more than 30 years.

Polanski’s agent Jeff Berg told the BBC on Monday he has spoken to the director since his arrest.

Berg says, "His voice is strong... he's very anxious to get this resolved and go home. It is surprising because Roman, for the last 12, 15 years, has lived in Switzerland, he has a home, he travels there, he works there".

"His presence there is well known as it is through much of Europe, so this came kind of as a shock given the fact that he was invited to Zurich to receive a lifetime achievement award". Polanski’s French lawyer, Georges Kiejman, insists it is "too early to know" whether he will be extradited, adding.

"For now, we are trying to have the arrest warrant lifted in Zurich". The famed director was in Switzerland to attend the Zurich Film Festival when he was held, sparking anger in the industry. Officials at the Swiss Association of Directors blasted the move as a "grotesque judicial farce and a monstrous cultural scandal", while the country’s Association of Film Directors and Scriptwriters insist it is "a slap in the face for the entire cultural community in Switzerland".