Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said his office had "determined it to be in the interest of justice to agree to the unsealing of these transcripts."

"This case has been described by the courts as 'one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,'" said Gascon in a statement.&nbsp;

"For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know."

While it is not known what exactly the transcripts contain, they include testimony by former Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson, the first prosecutor to handle Polanski's case.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/french-actor-accuses-oscar-winner-roman-polanski-of-sexual-assault-260990">French actor accuses Oscar-winner Roman Polanski of sexual assault</a>

In 1977, French-Polish director Polanski was arrested after 13-year-old Samantha Gailey accused him of plying her with drugs and champagne and forcibly sodomizing her. Seeking to spare the child a trial, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges in a plea deal, with Polanski accepting guilt for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor.

He served 42 days in prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. When it appeared that the judge, Laurence Rittenband, was set to reconsider and hand down a much lengthier prison sentence, Polanski fled to France, where he still resides.

The ‘Rosemary's Baby’ and ‘Chinatown’ director has not returned to the United States since and has been engaged in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game with officials seeking his extradition, before a global audience split between continuing outrage and forgiveness for his acts.

According to Gascon's statement, Polanski first requested the transcripts be unsealed "several years ago" in order to "conduct an investigation into alleged judicial misconduct." Gascon also described the circumstances in which Polanski was initially treated by prosecutors as "extraordinary" and added that his office was committed to "transparency and accountability for all in the justice system."

The Hollywood Reporter said the new request to see the transcripts came not from Polanski, but from two journalists.&nbsp;

Gailey publicly forgave Polanski in 1997 and said her treatment by the press and judicial system was worse than the original crime. She has also previously called for the transcripts to be unsealed.

But Gascon's statement concludes: "Polanski remains a fugitive from justice and should surrender himself to the Los Angeles County Superior Court to be sentenced."

In more recent years, Polanski -- now 88 -- has also been accused of other historic sex crimes by different women. He denies the allegations, for which the statute of limitations has expired.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-roman-polanski-revisits-holocaust-boyhood-in-new-film-388494">Roman Polanski revisits Holocaust boyhood in new film</a>

Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct.

Los Angeles prosecutors said Tuesday they will no longer oppose the release of sealed transcripts in the statutory rape case against Roman Polanski -- documents which the fugitive director has previously argued could reveal judicial misconduct. George Gascon, the Los Angeles County district attorney, said his office had "determined it to be in the interest of justice to agree to the unsealing of these transcripts." "This case has been described by the courts as 'one of the longest-running sagas in California criminal justice history,'" said Gascon in a statement. "For years, this office has fought the release of information that the victim and public have a right to know." While it is not known what exactly the transcripts contain, they include testimony by former Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson, the first prosecutor to handle Polanski's case. Also Read: French actor accuses Oscar-winner Roman Polanski of sexual assault In 1977, French-Polish director Polanski was arrested after 13-year-old Samantha Gailey accused him of plying her with drugs and champagne and forcibly sodomizing her. Seeking to spare the child a trial, prosecutors dropped the most serious charges in a plea deal, with Polanski accepting guilt for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He served 42 days in prison while undergoing psychiatric evaluation. When it appeared that the judge, Laurence Rittenband, was set to reconsider and hand down a much lengthier prison sentence, Polanski fled to France, where he still resides. The ‘Rosemary's Baby’ and ‘Chinatown’ director has not returned to the United States since and has been engaged in a decades-long cat-and-mouse game with officials seeking his extradition, before a global audience split between continuing outrage and forgiveness for his acts. According to Gascon's statement, Polanski first requested the transcripts be unsealed "several years ago" in order to "conduct an investigation into alleged judicial misconduct." Gascon also described the circumstances in which Polanski was initially treated by prosecutors as "extraordinary" and added that his office was committed to "transparency and accountability for all in the justice system." The Hollywood Reporter said the new request to see the transcripts came not from Polanski, but from two journalists. Gailey publicly forgave Polanski in 1997 and said her treatment by the press and judicial system was worse than the original crime. She has also previously called for the transcripts to be unsealed. But Gascon's statement concludes: "Polanski remains a fugitive from justice and should surrender himself to the Los Angeles County Superior Court to be sentenced." In more recent years, Polanski -- now 88 -- has also been accused of other historic sex crimes by different women. He denies the allegations, for which the statute of limitations has expired. Also Read: Roman Polanski revisits Holocaust boyhood in new film

US prosecutor says Roman Polanski case transcripts can be unsealed

Film director Andrzej Wajda, best known for chronicling Poland&#39;s struggle for democracy during half a century of communist rule, has died at the age of 90.

Wajda won international acclaim for &quot;Man of Iron&quot; (1981), which tells the story of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement, and the film&#39;s subversive predecessor &quot;Man of Marble&quot; (1977).

Fans, film-makers and political leaders rushed online to pay tribute after his death was announced late on Sunday.

&quot;We all stem from Wajda. We looked at Poland and at ourselves through him. And we understood better. Now it will be more difficult,&quot; Poland&#39;s former prime minister and the current head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said on social media.

Communist authorities censored the &quot;Man of Marble&quot;, angered by its portrayal of political corruption in the early 1950s Stalinist period, shown through the fall from grace of a Stakhanovite bricklayer.

&quot;Man of Iron,&quot; which portrays the 1980 strikes that led to the creation of the Solidarity union and the fall of communism, was awarded the Palme d&#39;Or at the Cannes festival.

In 2000, Wajda received an Academy Honorary Award in 2000, in recognition of five decades of work, the first eastern European director to win the lifetime achievement Oscar.

Wajda&#39;s films also won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and four nominations for Academy Awards, among other prizes.

&quot;One of the greatest&quot;

&quot;He was one of the greatest Polish artists, one of the best known in the world. Poland was his passion,&quot; film director and head of the Polish Filmmakers&#39; Association Jacek Bromski told TVN24 broadcaster.

&quot;For us, for the community he was a pillar of strength, everybody gathered around him. He was always present in the life of the film-making community, he was a mentor, a paragon.&quot;

Wajda&#39;s last film, &quot;Afterimage&quot;, a biopic about avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, tells a story of an artist struggling to overcome the pressures of Stalinist dogma on art shortly after World War Two.

Wajda, who has spent decades using subtle cinematic language and hidden meanings to avoid overt clashes with the communist authorities, has drawn parallels between Strzeminski&#39;s efforts and the current conservative government&#39;s policy of promoting &quot;national culture&quot;.

&quot;We are facing a moment when the authorities are trying to influence art,&quot; Wajda, who has criticised the Law and Justice (PiS) government on several occasions, told the local PAP news agency in September.

&quot;&#39;National art&#39; is being discussed, what is art and what isn&#39;t. I made a film about the past which says that influencing art is not the role of a government. Artists should do art, not the authorities.&quot;

&quot;Afterimage&quot; has been submitted as Poland&#39;s candidate for best Foreign Language Oscar.

(Reuters)

Wajda received an Academy Honorary Award in 2000, in recognition for five decades of work highlighting Poland's struggle for democracy

Film director Andrzej Wajda, best known for chronicling Poland's struggle for democracy during half a century of communist rule, has died at the age of 90. Wajda won international acclaim for "Man of Iron" (1981), which tells the story of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement, and the film's subversive predecessor "Man of Marble" (1977). Fans, film-makers and political leaders rushed online to pay tribute after his death was announced late on Sunday. "We all stem from Wajda. We looked at Poland and at ourselves through him. And we understood better. Now it will be more difficult," Poland's former prime minister and the current head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said on social media. Communist authorities censored the "Man of Marble", angered by its portrayal of political corruption in the early 1950s Stalinist period, shown through the fall from grace of a Stakhanovite bricklayer. "Man of Iron," which portrays the 1980 strikes that led to the creation of the Solidarity union and the fall of communism, was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes festival. In 2000, Wajda received an Academy Honorary Award in 2000, in recognition of five decades of work, the first eastern European director to win the lifetime achievement Oscar. Wajda's films also won a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and four nominations for Academy Awards, among other prizes. "One of the greatest" "He was one of the greatest Polish artists, one of the best known in the world. Poland was his passion," film director and head of the Polish Filmmakers' Association Jacek Bromski told TVN24 broadcaster. "For us, for the community he was a pillar of strength, everybody gathered around him. He was always present in the life of the film-making community, he was a mentor, a paragon." Wajda's last film, "Afterimage", a biopic about avant-garde painter Wladyslaw Strzeminski, tells a story of an artist struggling to overcome the pressures of Stalinist dogma on art shortly after World War Two. Wajda, who has spent decades using subtle cinematic language and hidden meanings to avoid overt clashes with the communist authorities, has drawn parallels between Strzeminski's efforts and the current conservative government's policy of promoting "national culture". "We are facing a moment when the authorities are trying to influence art," Wajda, who has criticised the Law and Justice (PiS) government on several occasions, told the local PAP news agency in September. "'National art' is being discussed, what is art and what isn't. I made a film about the past which says that influencing art is not the role of a government. Artists should do art, not the authorities." "Afterimage" has been submitted as Poland's candidate for best Foreign Language Oscar. (Reuters)

Celebrated Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda dies at 90

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US prosecutor says Roman Polanski case transcripts can be unsealed

Celebrated Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda dies at 90