President Khatami of Iran in a joint press conference...

President Khatami of Iran in a joint press conference with the Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in Madrid said political reforms in Iran were an ongoing process that Iranian society was mature for. "We have accepted democracy as a recognized human way of life," Khtami said. "But we try to conform it to our religious, cultural and historical criteria." "As for when the executions will cease, or certain legal issues, I think that it is wrong to discuss it in this manner. First, the issue of the death penalty is a much debate provoking issue between legal experts, and has been accepted in many parts of the world. It is not solely confined to Iran, although from an Islamic standpoint the death penalty is permitted in special circumstances. No-one would be happy about the death of a human being. But I think that we would be much more upset about innocent people being killed by murderers, than for a criminal who has murdered people and deprived them of their rights to be punished. That is a legal argument which should be debated separately, and the debate is going on in Iran, too. Of course, we have our own criteria."