A handwritten asylum application letter allegedly written by NSA whistle-blower Edward Snowden has been revealed by his lawyer.

The former intelligence analyst formally applied for temporary asylum in Russia yesterday and TV station Russia Today published an image of the asylum letter to Russia's Federal Migration service, which was reportedly provided by his lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

Although the asylum request could take months to process, Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Snowden could be granted leave to remain if he ceases leaking information that could be "harmful to the United States."

PHOTO: #Snowden’s application for temporary asylum in Russia http://t.co/Rd0BjUi52r pic.twitter.com/WdN1bPGWxL

— RT (@RT_com) July 17, 2013