Fugitive intelligence leaker Edward Snowden will not face the death penalty if returned from Russia to the United States, the top US justice official has told Moscow, dpa reported.
Snowden, who has disclosed large-scale US spying programmes, has been in legal limbo for more than a month at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport after his US passport was revoked. The United States is seeking his extradition to face a trial for espionage.
The Kremlin said Friday that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) were discussing the Snowden case. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not involved in the talks, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Itar-Tass news agency.
In a letter to the Russian justice minister, US Attorney General Eric Holder said that prosecutors would not pursue the death penalty if Edward Snowden is returned to face trial. The letter promises that Snowden would not be tortured.
"The United States would not seek the death penalty even if Mr Snowden were charged with additional, death penalty-eligible crimes," Holder wrote.
The letter urges Russia not to give the former National Security Agency contractor refugee status and calls his grounds for seeking asylum in Russia "entirely without merit."
US media reports this week suggested that the White House is threatening to cancel a summit between President Barack Obama and Putin in September in Moscow.
Peskov said that the Snowden affair would not affect Putin's planned dialogue with the United States. The Kremlin spokesman reaffirmed Putin's condition that Russia will grant Snowden asylum only if the former intelligence contractor stopped leaking sensitive information that might strain US ties.
"The head of state has made his intention clear to not allow this happening," Peskov said.
He reiterated Moscow's position that Snowden would not be extradited: "We have not handed over anybody, we do not hand over anybody, and we will not hand over anybody."
Russian officials said this week that Snowden could leave the airport and legally enter Russian territory. He lawyer has said he was still awaiting documents.