RFI

French-Iranian artist Marjane Satrapi, best known for her graphic novel and film "Persepolis", announced on Monday that she refused the French Legion of Honour due to what she described as France's "hypocritical attitude towards Iran," particularly regarding its visa policies.

Marjane Satrapi arrived in France in 1994 and gained French nationality in 2006.

In July, she was awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest order of merit, but the graphic novel author and filmmaker decided to "reject" the honor, in a letter addressed to France's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, which was published on Instagram on Monday.

France's visa policies

"I can't ignore what I see as a hypocritical attitude towards Iran," Satrapi wrote, clarifying that her decision was not meant to disrespect the award itself.

Satrapi particularly pointed to France's visa policies, which she believes favour the children of Iran's elite over dissidents.

"I can't continue seeing the children of Iranian oligarchs come to spend their holidays in France, even become naturalised, while at the same time young dissidents have difficulty in obtaining a tourist visa to come to see what the country of the Enlightenment and human rights looks like," she wrote.

"When you have people who are fighting for democracy, you need to support them," she told French news agency AFP on Monday.

She joins an illustrious list of artists and intellectuals to have refused the Legion of Honour - including philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux, and economist Thomas Piketty.