[jyl]

I read back at the time of his initial disclosures that he was charged, in absentia, with espionage counts, with the maximum sentence being life imprisonment. There was no mention of the death penalty. Which surprised me, but upon reflection the US govt was probably trying to avoid giving other countries, which do not have the death penalty, an excuse to shelter Snowden. Of course he went to Russia, which administers the death penalty without even bothering with a conviction.