US Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Alexander Vladimirovich Konovalov, the Russian Minister of Justice, personally assuring him and the Russian government that Edward Snowden will not be tortured or killed if they agree to extradite him back to the US.

FoxNews reports that in the letter dated July 23, the attorney general said the criminal charges Snowden faces do not carry the death penalty and that the U.S. will not seek the death penalty even if Snowden were charged with additional death penalty-eligible crimes.

Holder says his letter follows news reports that Snowden, who leaked information on largely secret electronic surveillance programs, has filed papers seeking temporary asylum in Russia on grounds that if he were returned to the United States, he would be tortured and would face the death penalty.

Snowden has previously expressed his fears verbally and also in the cover letter for the multiple asylum applications he submitted around the world over the past few weeks. Snowden indicated, "I believe that, given these circumstances, it is unlikely that I would receive a fair trial or proper treatment prior to that trial, and face the possibility of life in prison or even death,"

There is not a standing extradition agreement in place between the US and Russia; however previous requests have been dealt with on a case by case basis.