France has nothing to do with it? Really?

From ABC News:

The French culture minister has denounced the United States for the arrest of Polanski, saying it is a "terrible thing and very unfair."
"Seeing him alone, imprisoned while he was heading to an event that was due to offer him praise and recognition is awful. He was trapped," French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said at a news conference Sunday. "In the same way there is a generous America that we like, there is also a scary America, that has just shown its face."

Wait.....there's more from the French Culture Minister:

I'm offering my support to Polanski as a French citizen and as the minister for culture. Justice has been denied to him many times in his life, and beauty is something that he has brought though his films," he said, calling Polanski a "wonderful man" and "one of the greatest directors of all time.If the world of culture does not offer its support to Polanski, then that would mean there is no more culture in this country."

From BBC:
French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner called the detention of the film-maker - a French citizen - in Switzerland a "bit sinister".

So basically, in a nutshell: if you can draw very pretty pictures or direct pretty movies, it's OK to commit a crime and run off to France. They'll protect you!