LONDON, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- A British court will decide whether director Roman Polanski can sue a magazine for libel without having to actually appear in court.
The Polish-born director fled the United States after his 1978 conviction for having sex with a 13-year-old girl. He has been living in France ever since.
A new extradition treaty between Britain and the United States means Polanski faces arrest as soon as he steps on English soil, the World Entertainment News Network reported Friday.
Polanski is seeking to sue Vanity Fair magazine for an article that said he tried to seduce a woman shortly after the 1969 murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. Polanski wants to give testimony in the case over closed-circuit TV from France, but British courts have historically required plaintiffs to give testimony in person.
A hearing on the request is scheduled for Nov. 17.
