Yesterday I got an Amnesty urgent action email, asking if people could attend a 10 AM hearing this morning at the US District Court.  It's amazing to be in a position where I could do that.  I called Mom to see if she wanted to come, and she was excited.  We headed off to the Metro at 7 this morning...along with a lot of Washington humanity (fortunately, a gentleman gave Mom his seat).   We got to the court house in plenty of time, had some coffee in the cafeteria, then went to find the court room.  In the hallway outside Judge Urbina's court, people started arriving -- lots of "suits" with big packets of papers, a good showing from Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, and also colorful Uighurs from the Washington area -- they are a Western Chinese people who practice Islam (and are persecuted by the Chinese government).  It ended up being standing room only, with many left in the hallway.  But Mom and I got front row seats -- and it was a fascinating morning.  Within a few hours the news media was out with articles -- here's one from the Washington Post.    The gist of the case is that 17 of these Chinese Uighurs ended up in Guantanamo Bay, but if they're angry at any country, it's China, not the US.  Hard to know...but the courts haven't found evidence that they're enemy combatants.  They've basically been languishing there because no country will take them in...China wants them back to they can persecute them more.  Today the judge ordered that these men be released into the US by Friday.   The government lawyers' argument was basically that this judge had no authority in the case...probably a rough tactic to take with a federal judge!