| Mabahith مباحث | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Mabahith | |
 Flag of the Mabahith | |
| Common name | Mabahith |
| Motto | A homeland we don't protect, we don't deserve to live in |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | October 14, 1924 as General Directorate of Public Security |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Saudi Arabia |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Presidency of State Security |
The Ministry of Interior and General Investigation (Arabic: الوزارة الداخلية المباحث العامة, romanized: al-Wizāra al-Dākhliya al-Mabāḥith al-ʿĀmma), commonly known simply as the Mabahith, is the secret police agency of the Presidency of State Security in Saudi Arabia, and deals with domestic security and counter-intelligence.
The officers of the Mabahith have delegated powers to investigate, survey, and detain individuals who are deemed to be "threats to national security".[1] The Mabahith has conducted a wide variety of security operations that have led to the arrest of high profile terrorists, and opposition members that have been accused of causing internal unrest. Officially, the Mabahith are to turn over arrested individuals to the Saudi courts for sentencing. The Mabahith have been used by the government of Saudi Arabia to monitor political opposition and individuals they deem to be threatening to Saudi society. The organization has been criticized by the United Nations, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.[2]
- ^ "Human Rights and Saudi Arabia's Counterterrorism Response - Religious Counseling, Indefinite Detention and Flawed Trials" (PDF). Human Rights Watch. 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2020-10-14.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia 2018". Amnesty International. Retrieved 2019-12-06.