French court convicts ex-CEO, Lafarge for paying $6.5m to ISIS in Syria

A French court has found cement giant Lafarge and its former executives guilty of financing terrorism by paying millions of euros to the Islamic State group and other jihadists to maintain operations in war-torn Syria.

A Paris court on Monday delivered a landmark ruling, finding the French cement conglomerate Lafarge guilty of paying “protection money” to the Islamic State (IS) group and other jihadist organizations to keep its factory operational during the Syrian civil war. The court sentenced former CEO Bruno Lafont to six years in prison, ordering his immediate incarceration, while former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received a five-year sentence. Presiding judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez characterized the company’s dealings as a “genuine commercial partnership with the IS group,” noting that the payments were essential in allowing the terrorist organization to gain control of natural resources and fund acts of terror both in the region and across Europe.

The prosecution successfully argued that Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) paid approximately €5.6 million ($6.5 million) between 2013 and 2014 to various intermediaries and designated terrorist groups, including Jabhat al-Nusra. While other multinationals exited Syria as the conflict escalated, Lafarge maintained its $680-million Jalabiya plant until September 2014, evacuating expatriates but leaving local staff behind. The French national counter-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) emphasized that the company acted with “a single aim: profit,” even seeking help from the IS group to squeeze out competitors through an effective revenue-sharing agreement.

The defense, led by former deputy managing director Christian Herrault, argued that the decision to remain in Syria was driven by humanitarian concerns for local employees, asking, “We could have washed our hands of it and walked away, but what would have happened to the factory’s employees?” However, the court found the gravity of the offences outweighed such claims, particularly given that the payments were never disclosed. While this verdict addresses the financing of terrorism, a second case concerning allegations of complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing. Lafarge’s current owner, Swiss conglomerate Holcim, has maintained it had no knowledge of the Syrian dealings prior to the acquisition.

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