US pressures Russia to extradite Snowden, vowing “he will not be tortured”

[Horn]

US Attorney General Eric Holder has reassured his Russian counterpart that whistleblower Edward Snowden will not be tortured or given the death penalty if Moscow extradites him.

The information emerged after the US Department of Justice disclosed the contents of a July 23 letter, which had generated fevered speculation on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The United States will not seek the death penalty for Mr. Snowden should he return to the United States. The charges he faces do not carry that possibility, and the United States would not seek the death penalty even if Mr. Snowden were charged with additional, death penalty-eligible crimes,” said the letter, which was addressed to Russian Justice Minister Aleksandr Konovalov.

In the letter, the US also promised that Snowden would receive a public jury trial in the civil courts, and would not be subjected to anything but “voluntary questioning” in the lead-up to his trial.

“Mr. Snowden will not be tortured. Torture is unlawful in the United States,” wrote the attorney general. He added that the former NSA contractor was immediately eligible for a “limited validity passport” good for direct return to the US.

http://rt.com/news/snowden-justice-letter-moscow-640/

[Ponce]

That has nothing to do with what the US will do to him.....he will be uses as a "look what will happen to you if you screw up".

V

[Cebu_4_2]

And the whole world agrees the USi wouldn't lie.

[madfranks]

Snowden really needs to get out of Russia, he's been there too long, and the longer he sits there the more likely it is that something will happen to him.

[Horn]

Snowden really needs to get out of Russia, he's been there too long, and the longer he sits there the more likely it is that something will happen to him.

Moscow ranked 2nd most expensive city for expats

The Russian capital is the 2nd most expensive city in the world for expatriates, because of high city center rent in Moscow. The Mercer Consulting report is designed to help multinationals determine compensation for their expatriate employees.

The survey measured the cost of over 200 items in more than 200 cities such as housing, transportation, food and clothing, using New York as a the base city. One of the main criteria was the cost of rental housing, BFM quotes the research.

Moscow was ranked 2nd primarily because of higher prices for rental properties in the center of the city. An apartment with two bedrooms on average costs $4.600 in Moscow, according to the study.

Angola’s capital Luanda tops the list. Africa's second largest oil producer attracts large multinational firms. Last year, the average monthly rent for a luxury two-bedroom apartment in Luanda was $6,500, according to Mercer, just about $500 less than the cost in Hong Kong - which is considered one of the world's most expensive real estate markets.

Japan’s Tokyo ranks third.

The researchers noted that, in general, the greatest impact on the rating are local variations in exchange rates against the dollar, and a general increase in the price of goods and services around the world.

“Deploying expatriate employees is an increasingly important aspect of multinational companies’ business strategy,” hcmag.ru quotes Garry Adams of Mercer. “With volatile markets and stunted economic growth in many parts of the world, a keen eye on cost efficiency is essential.”

Earlier this year a similar rating was published by ECA consultancy. According to it, Moscow was ranked 5th after Oslo (Norway), Luanda (Angola), Stavanger (Norway) and Juba (Southern Sudan), BFM reports.

In 2008, Moscow was named the most expensive city in the world for foreigners to live.

[Cebu_4_2]

I think he is in trouble in not having a passport to get out.

[Spectrism]

We are in the age of facial recognition software and cameras everywhere. His best bet is to go to some primitive place where he could blend in and stay clear of electronic surveillance.

An amish farm would be perfect.

[gunDriller]

i'm not sure that the US is in position to pressure Russia on anything.

the US is fatally weakened by debt. the US relies on countries like Russia & China to buy their debt.

and China has been buying a lot less of it.