Syria returns to France the prestigious Legion d'honneur

Syria has returned to France the prestigious Legion d'honneur presented to President Bashar al-Assad. The award was returned to France via the Romanian embassy in Damascus.

Syrian foreign ministry said in a statement that the ministry has returned the decoration of the Grand Croix of the Legion d'honneur awarded to President Assad to the French republic.



President Assad was decorated with the highest class of the award, the Grand Croix, in 2001 after he took power following the death of his father.

The move comes days after France said a disciplinary procedure for withdrawing the award was under way. France recently joined the US and Britain in bombing Syrian targets over an alleged chemical weapons attack.