French cement maker convicted of financing terror groups to keep its Syria plant working
French court rules cement giant Lafarge guilty of funding Syria ‘terrorism’
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A French court convicted cement maker Lafarge for financing terrorist groups, including ISIS, to maintain operations at its Syrian plant from 2013 to 2014. The company was fined over €1 million, and former CEO Bruno Lafont received a six-year prison sentence for financing terrorism. Lafarge, now part of Holcim, paid nearly €5.6 million through its subsidiary to ensure the plant's operation in northern Syria during the civil war. The court found Lafarge established a "genuine commercial partnership with IS," enabling the group to control resources and finance terrorist acts. This follows a 2022 US case where Lafarge pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and agreed to pay a $778 million fine.
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AI-ExtractedLafarge paid groups including Islamic State and Syria’s then al-Qaida affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.
In 2022, Lafarge pleaded guilty in the US to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated “terrorist” organizations.
Lafarge established a “genuine commercial partnership with IS”.
Lafarge paid nearly €5.6m via its subsidiary to terror groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria.
A French court fined Lafarge more than €1m and sentenced its former boss to six years in prison.
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