DAMASCUS: Syria returned to France the prestigious Legion d’Honneur it gave to President Bashar al-Assad, saying Thursday he would not wear the award of a “slave” to America.

Assad was decorated with the Legion’s highest rank of Grand Croix, or Great Cross, by former president Jacques Chirac in 2001, shortly after taking power following the death of his father Hafez al-Assad.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that “a disciplinary procedure for withdrawing the Legion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) is underway”.

Syria said it had returned the award after France took part in air strikes at the weekend against regime targets over an alleged chemical weapons attack.

“The ministry of foreign affairs... has returned to the French republic... the decoration of the Grand Croix of the Legion d’Honneur awarded to President Assad,” said the Syrian foreign ministry.

It said in a statement that the award was returned to France via the Romanian embassy in Damascus, which represents French interests in Syria.—AFP