Poland’s Supreme Court has confirmed that the country would refuse to detain and extradite filmmaker Roman Polanski to the US.

Polanski, best known for Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown, is wanted in the US in a case involving sex with a minor, which has haunted him for almost 40 years.

The ruling in Poland upholds the decision of a lower court that was challenged by the justice minister.

Roman Polanski talks to reporters in Krakow, Poland
The ruling closes the case
(Jarek Praszkiewicz/AP)

The three-judge panel rejected a request by justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro to overturn the extradition refusal and upheld the procedure and decision taken by a lower court.

The ruling closes the case.

Polanski lives in France and has a home in Switzerland, but has often visited Poland, where he grew up.

Filmmaker Roman Polanski
Polanski grew up in Poland (Alik Keplicz/AP)

Polanski wanted to make a film in Poland last year, but cancelled his plans after Ziobro’s move.

The justice minister revived the case in May, months after the conservative government took office.

Ziobro argued that Polanski should be punished and that his celebrity status was the only thing shielding the Oscar-winning director from being extradited.

Adrien Brody in The Pianist
Polanski won the best director Oscar for The Pianist, starring Adrien Brody (PA)

The lower court had argued Polanski, 83, has served a prison term, while he would probably not get a fair trial in the US if he was extradited.

The director pleaded guilty in 1977 to one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl during a photo shoot in Los Angeles.

In a deal with the judge, he served 42 days in prison, but then fled the US fearing the judge would have him imprisoned again for much longer.

The US has been seeking to bring Polanski back and put him before a court.