Death Penalty: Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden: In a letter dated Tuesday, the attorney general said the criminal charges Snowden now faces in the United States do not carry the death penalty and the U.S. will not seek his execution even if he is charged with additional serious crimes. The letter followed news reports that Snowden, who leaked details of top-secret U.S. surveillance programs, has filed papers seeking temporary asylum in Russia on grounds that if he were returned to the U.S., he would be tortured and would face the death penalty. , according to Winnipeg Free Press. The attorney general's letter was sent to Alexander Vladimirovich Konovalov, the Russian minister of justice. WASHINGTON -- Striving to get Edward Snowden back to America, U.S., Attorney General Eric Holder has assured the Russian government the U.S. has no plans to seek the death penalty for the former National Security Agency systems analyst. Snowden has been charged with three offences in the U.S., including espionage, and could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.