6. Punishments consisting of deprivation of liberty shall have as an essential aim the reform
and social readaptation of the prisoners.
Article 6. Freedom from Slavery
1. No one shall be subject to slavery or to involuntary servitude, which are prohibited in all
their forms, as are the slave trade and traffic in women.
2. No one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labor. This provision shall not be
interpreted to mean that, in those countries in which the penalty established for certain
crimes is deprivation of liberty at forced labor, the carrying out of such a sentence imposed by
a competent court is prohibited. Forced labor shall not adversely affect the dignity or the
physical or intellectual capacity of the prisoner.
3. For the purposes of this article, the following do not constitute forced or compulsory labor:
a. work or service normally required of a person imprisoned in execution of a sentence
or formal decision passed by the competent judicial authority. Such work or service
shall be carried out under the supervision and control of public authorities, and any
persons performing such work or service shall not be placed at the disposal of any
private party, company, or juridical person;
b. military service and, in countries in which conscientious objectors are recognized,
national service that the law may provide for in lieu of military service;
c. service exacted in time of danger or calamity that threatens the existence or the
well-being of the community; or
d. work or service that forms part of normal civic obligations.
Article 7. Right to Personal Liberty
1. Every person has the right to personal liberty and security.
2. No one shall be deprived of his physical liberty except for the reasons and under the
conditions established beforehand by the constitution of the State Party concerned or by a law
established pursuant thereto.
3. No one shall be subject to arbitrary arrest or imprisonment.
4. Anyone who is detained shall be informed of the reasons for his detention and shall be
promptly notified of the charge or charges against him.
5. Any person detained shall be brought promptly before a judge or other officer authorized
by law to exercise judicial power and shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to
be released without prejudice to the continuation of the proceedings. His release may be
subject to guarantees to assure his appearance for trial.
6. Anyone who is deprived of his liberty shall be entitled to recourse to a competent court, in
order that the court may decide without delay on the lawfulness of his arrest or detention and
order his release if the arrest or detention is unlawful. In States Parties whose laws provide
that anyone who believes himself to be threatened with deprivation of his liberty is entitled to
recourse to a competent court in order that it may decide on the lawfulness of such threat,
this remedy may not be restricted or abolished. The interested party or another person in his
behalf is entitled to seek these remedies.