LEXINGTON, Ky. — No decision was made Monday during an extradition hearing for a Croation woman facing charges of murder and torture stemming from the unraveling of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
More than three hours of testimony and arguments were heard Monday in U.S. District Court in Lexington in the case of Azra Basic. The U.S. government wants to return Basic, 52, to Bosnia to face charges. Basic's attorney, Patrick Nash, is fighting the extradition.
According to court documents, Basic is charged with fatally stabbing a prisoner in the neck in 1992 during the conflict, in which more than 100,000 people were killed.
Basic had been living for several years in in eastern Kentucky, where she worked at a nursing home and a nearby food factory, before her arrest in March.
Witnesses testified about everything from cultural differences to Basic's character.
Among those who testified Monday was Karen Mingst, a professor at the University of Kentucky Patterson school of diplomacy, who discussed the history of the area and the cultural differences.
"That area of the world has obviously had a lot of conflict," she said.
Lucille Loman, who allowed Basic to move in with her, discussed her character. Loman said she and Basic worked at Tambark nursing home -- Basic was a nursing aid; Loman was a private sitter. Loman said Basic lived in an apartment in Jessamine County at the time.
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