France awarded its highest honour, the Legion d'Honneur, to Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef during his visit to the country on Friday. Saudi news agency SPA reported on Sunday that Nayef was cited for his “efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism”.

The Guardian reported that an aide of French President Francois Hollande said the Saudi interior minister has received the honour as a "foreign individual, a common protocol practice," noting that Hollande himself received Saudi Arabia's top honour during one of his visits there. After the news hit the media, people took to Twitter to criticise the move, with many tweeting with hashtag “honte” (shame in French).

In January, Saudi Arabia executed 47 people, including a prominent Shi'ite cleric, which was condemned by the western nations and the public at large. In a statement, the French foreign ministry had said that the country “deeply deplores” the mass execution, including that of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. It had said that France opposes the death penalty “in all places and circumstances.”