Provisions against Torture in General International Human Rights Instruments



Universal Declaration of Human Rights, article 5:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.


International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, article 7:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In particular, no one shall be subjected without his free consent to medical or scientific experimentation.


European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, article 3:
No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.


African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, article 4:
Human beings are inviolable. Every human being shall be entitled to respect for his life and the integrity of his person. No one may be arbitrarily deprived of this right.

African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, article 5:
Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status. All forms of exploitation and degradation of man particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited.


American Convention on Human Rights, article 5:
Right to Humane Treatment
1. Every person has the right to have his physical, mental, and moral integrity respected.
2. No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment or treatment. All persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
3. Punishment shall not be extended to any person other than the criminal.
4. Accused persons shall, save in exceptional circumstances, be segregated from convicted persons, and shall be subject to separate treatment appropriate to their status as unconvicted persons.
5. Minors while subject to criminal proceedings shall be separated from adults and brought before specialized tribunals, as speedily as possible, so that they may be treated in accordance with their status as minors.
6. Punishments consisting of deprivation of liberty shall have as an essential aim the reform and social readaptation of the prisoners.


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Chris Ingelse, ingelse@boelsadvoc.com
Last modified: October 3, 1996

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