SPA said bin Nayef, who serves as Saudi Arabia`s interior minister, received the award for his "efforts in the fight against terrorism and extremism."
French television channel France24 tweeted this message:
The honor was bestowed upon the Saudi prince as a "foreign individual, a common protocol practice," President Hollande`s aide told news agency AFP on condition of anonymity.
There were no comments from the Elysee Palace.
Saudi Arabia is France`s key ally in the Syria conflict and also a big customer of French arms.
The French government`s move has been criticized by opponents of the death penalty, who were tweeting using the hashtag "#honte" or "shame" in French, on Sunday. Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth posted this message:
Saudi Arabia has executed 70 people so far in 2016. Earlier this year, Riyadh beheaded Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr with a sword on charges of "terrorism," which led to tensions with Iran.
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