A French court has found cement company Lafarge guilty of financing terrorism through its operations in Syria, imposing fines and jail terms on top executives.
The Paris court ruled that the company paid protection money to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and other armed groups between 2013 and 2014, in violation of European sanctions, to sustain operations at its northern Syria plant.
The court ordered Lafarge to pay a fine of 1.12 million euros, while assets worth 30 million euros were confiscated. An additional fine was imposed for breaching international sanctions. The company has the right to appeal the ruling.
Eight former employees, including former Chief Executive Officer Bruno Lafont, were convicted of financing terrorist organisations. Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, while former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received a five-year jail term.
The court found that Lafarge paid about 5.59 million euros to armed groups, including ISIS and the Al-Nusra Front, to maintain operations at its Jalabiya plant.
The presiding judge said the payments enabled the company to continue its business activities, thereby strengthening groups responsible for deadly attacks in Syria and beyond.
The case is one of several legal actions concerning Lafarge’s conduct during the Syrian conflict.
... French Court Convicts Lafarge for Financing Terrorism in Syria ... Naijaonpoint.