The Ministry of Justice will answer the US prosecutor general to a letter about Snowden

The Russian Ministry of Justice is preparing an answer to the US Prosecutor Eric Holder to his letter about the exposure of the American special services of Edward Snowden, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the press service of the department. Holder’s letter does not contain a request for extradition or deportation, the press service noted.

What kind of answer will be and in what timelines it will be sent to the United States, the ministry will not specify it, but emphasizes that extradition issues are not related to the competence of the Ministry of Justice. In Russia, the General Prosecutor's Office is engaged in them.

In a letter dated July 23, Holder assures that in the event of extradition in the United States, Snowden is not threatened with the death penalty. After the return of Snowden "will immediately appear before the civil court," wrote the US prosecutor general. He emphasized that this will be done in accordance with the US Constitution. "Snowden will enjoy all the rights that the United States grants to persons accused of committing a crime," said Holder.

The Prosecutor General emphasized that there are no formal obstacles to the return of Snowden. "Despite the cancellation of his passport on June 22, 2013, he remains an American citizen and can receive a limited passport for returning to the United States," the holder said.

The day before, the Ministry of Justice’s press service said that Russia cannot issue the United States a former CIA officer Edward Snowden due to the lack of a “forced return” in the international law. The “Return” term in Russian legislation and practice is applied, as a rule, to the voluntary entry of persons from abroad to the country whose citizens they are, ”the department said. It notes that in the context of the forced repatriation of a person in the state of citizenship, this term is not used in international law.

On the eve of the fact that Russia will not give Snowden the United States, Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Interfax. "A firm intention to prevent this was expressed by the head of state. I have no doubt that it will be so in any development of the situation," he said.

According to the press secretary, "the president does not participate in the discussion of this problem with American colleagues." This issue is discussed on the channels of the heads of the FSB and the FBI.

Snowden fled from the United States after the publication of secret documents on the surveillance of American intelligence services. According to these documents, American agents listened to the phones of the EU representative office.

In mid -June 2013, Snowden flew to Hong Kong. At the end of June, he flew to Sheremetyevo Airport. His passport was canceled by the United States, and Snowden could not leave the Moscow airport.

In mid -July, Snowden sent an official request to the FMS of Russia to provide him with a temporary asylum. On July 23, a member of the Public Chamber and lawyer Anatoly Kucheren said that Snowden intends to work and arrange his life in Russia.