"We've quite strongly have demanded there should be aformalhearing, rather than an exchange of letters so the community can have its say, " Mr Skill said.
It's not often that journalists are invited to appear before lawmakers to plead their case, so Matthew Cooper of Time magazine could be excused for seeming a bit uncomfortable in the formalhearing room of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Dmitrichenko remained in police custody pending a court hearing on Thursday in which prosecutors will move for formal charges against the three men, and it was unclear whether they had lawyers.
Meanwhile, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter has announced that he is launching aformal probe of the Justice Department's handling of the Padilla case and may hold a public hearing.