French Court Convicts Lafarge Over ISIS Funding
French Court Convicts Lafarge Over ISIS Funding
A French court has found cement giant Lafarge guilty of financing terrorist organisations, including the notorious Islamic State, in a landmark ruling tied to the Syrian civil war.
The judgment, delivered by a Paris court, revealed that the company paid an estimated $6.5 million between 2013 and 2014 to armed groups operating in northern Syria. The payments were reportedly made to secure staff movement, maintain access to raw materials, and keep Lafarge’s cement plant in Jalabiya running amid escalating conflict.
According to the court, the funds were not limited to ISIS but also extended to the Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate designated as a terrorist organisation.
Presiding judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez stated that the financial arrangements directly empowered extremist groups.
“The payments were essential in enabling terrorist organisations to gain control of resources and finance attacks within the region and abroad,” she ruled.
In addition to the corporate conviction, eight former executives and employees were found guilty. Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, while former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received a five-year term. A former Syrian employee, Firas Tlass, was sentenced in absentia to seven years.
Lafarge, now part of Swiss-based Holcim, acknowledged the ruling, describing the case as a legacy issue stemming from actions taken over a decade ago in violation of its internal code of conduct.
“We acknowledge the court’s findings. These actions… were in flagrant violation of Lafarge’s code of conduct,” the company said.
The Jalabiya cement plant, acquired by Lafarge in 2008 and operational from 2010, became a focal point during the early years of the Syrian conflict, with controversial payments continuing until September 2014.
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