Saudi Arabia had a robust year in 2014 — for beheadings.
The number of beheadings confirmed by the Saudi Press Agency in 2014 was 83, with the number of publicly announced executions rising to the highest level in five years, The Associated Press reported.
The kingdom puts individuals to death for a number of crimes, ranging from witchcraft to murder, AP reported.
Amnesty International ranks Saudi Arabia as having one of the highest execution rates in the world, although some countries such as China do not disclose such data, AP reported.
The organization said that 69 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2009.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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