In this article, Article 6, third paragraph (e) of the European Convention on Human Rights is looked into. Next, the author wonders what the meaning of ‘free’ is. Other questions are: ‘which costs are covered’, ‘is the obligation of the competent authorities limited to the appointment of an interpreter’ and ‘does the accused or his lawyer need to ask for an interpreter’? Finally, Article 6, third paragraph (a) and Article 5, second paragraph are briefly discussed.