French Court Convicts Lafarge Of Financing ISIS To Keep Syrian Plant Operating

A French court convicted Lafarge of financing terrorism through its Syrian subsidiary.

The court ordered Lafarge to pay a 1.12 million euro fine and confiscate 30 million euros worth of assets.

Al Jazeera

Eight former Lafarge employees were found guilty, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, who was sentenced to six years in jail.

The presiding judge said the sole purpose of the funding was to keep the Syrian plant running for economic reasons.

Judges found Lafarge paid a total of 5.59 million euros to armed groups including ISIL and the al-Nusra Front.

The factory was bought by Lafarge in 2008 for $680 million and began operating in 2010.

The case was the first time a company was tried in France for financing terrorism.

Lafarge had paid more than 800,000 euros to secure safe passage and 1.6 million euros to purchase source materials.

Al Jazeera

The ruling follows a 2022 case in the United States where Lafarge pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a $778 million fine.

Lafarge acknowledged the court's finding as a legacy matter involving conduct more than a decade ago.

The court also found that Lafarge paid the al-Nusra Front, affiliated to al-Qaeda.

Five former members of operational and security staff and two Syrian intermediaries were found guilty.

Former deputy managing director Christian Herrault was handed a five-year sentence.

Firas Tlass was sentenced in absentia to seven years.

Herrault argued the decision was made out of concern for local staff.

Prosecutors said Lafont gave clear instructions to keep the plant operating.

The counterterrorism prosecutor's office said Lafarge was guilty with a single aim: profit.

The presiding judge condemned the payments as a genuine commercial partnership with ISIL.

The factory continued operations while other companies left Syria in 2012.

Al-Jazeera Net

Lafarge evacuated only its expatriate employees and left its Syrian staff in place until 2014.

Payments were made to allow free movement and access raw materials from ISIL-controlled quarries.

The verdict comes after Lafarge admitted in the US to guilt and agreed to pay a fine of $778 million.