U.S. won’t seek death penalty for Edward Snowden

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder told Russia in a letter that the American government would not seek the death penalty for National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden.

The letter, which was dated July 23, says that the criminal charges against Snowden do not carry the death penalty, according to the Huffington Post. Holder further says that if Snowden is charged in the future with crimes that could warrant a death penalty, the U.S. government will not seek the death penalty.

Holder also said that Snowden would not be tortured if he returned, the Epoch Times reports.

Holder says his reason for sending the letter is a follow-up to news that Snowden has filed papers for temporary asylum in Russia due to fears that he would be tortured or face the death penalty on his return to the U.S. The Attorney General’s insistence that this would not be the case seemingly invalidates Snowden’s argument for temporary asylum.

Snowden has been in the transit zone of Moscow’s Sheremyetevo airport for over a month and recently sought temporary asylum in Russia for the ability to move freely within the country.

Congress has also been pushing for sanctions against any country that offers Snowden asylum as a deterrent that may eventually force Snowden back to the U.S.

Lawyer Anatoly Kucherena recently brought Snowden changes of clothes and two books: Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and a collection of short stories by Anton Chekhov.

Image: WikiCommons