This is unexpected, though it does come with small caveats. Roman Polanski has something to be thankful for today.
On his third (maybe even fourth?) attempt to post bail — along with volunteering to live under house arrest, hand over his passport, wear an electronic ankle bracelet and offering a huge cash sum —the director’s appeal has been approved by the Swiss courts to the tune of $4.5 million dollars.
According to the AP, under accordance with this agreement, his earlier offers are part of the deal and he will live under house arrest under electronic surveillance in his Swiss home.
However, and this is key, Polanski will remain in prison until the Justice Ministry decides whether to appeal his release to the country’s supreme court. The Swiss Ministry has apparently ten days to decide and a spokesman says they will make that decision “quickly.”
Although he’s still considered a huge flight risk, the significant cash amount offered up and the terms of his house arrest have evidently quelled those concerns. The director has been in prison since September 26, the day of his arrest in Zurich, Switzerland after attending a film festival that was scheduled to honor the filmmaker’s oeuvre.