The world's first conference against the death penalty opened in Strasbourg today, with the secretary-general of the Council of Europe calling for a worldwide abolition of the practice.
Mr Walter Schwimmer criticised in particular the US - which has had two federal executions in the past 10 days - saying if the death penalty was an instrument to fight crime, "the United States would be a crime-free country".
He criticised the recent decision by Texas governor Mr Rick Perry to veto a bill that would have outlawed the execution of mentally retarded people in that state, calling for a fight to completely ban the death penalty.
Mr Schwimmer also singled out Turkey, Russia and Armenia - all members of the Council of Europe who observe a moratorium on capital punishment - to officially abolish the death penalty.
On Friday, 18 heads of Europe's assemblies will meet in the European parliament to sign a formal appeal for a "worldwide moratorium of the death penalty with the goal of the universal abolition" of the practice.
The three-day conference in northeastern France brings together participants from 110 countries from around the world.
AFP