At the first World Congress Against the Death Penalty,...

At the first World Congress Against the Death Penalty, Walter Schwimmer, the secretary-general of the Council of Europe, denounced the United States' use of capital punishment.As head of the Council, Schwimmer said the death penalty in the U.S. was ineffectual against crime and a morally wrong choice that has put innocent people on death row.In his opening remarks, Schwimmer cited the case of Joaquin Jose Martinez, a Spanish national who was recently acquitted after spending over 3 three years on Florida's death row.