French cement group Lafarge is set to go on trial in Paris, accused of paying millions of dollars to the Islamic State group and other jihadist organizations to protect its business interests in war-torn Syria. The company, which has since been acquired by Swiss conglomerate Holcim, allegedly made payments to extremist groups, including the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, in 2013 and 2014.
The trial, which is scheduled to last until mid-December, will see Lafarge, its former director Bruno Lafont, and several other executives and intermediaries face charges of “funding terrorism” and violating international sanctions. The company could face a fine of up to $1.2 million if found guilty, with potentially more severe penalties if it is found to have breached sanctions.
Lafarge’s Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria, allegedly paid intermediaries to access raw materials from extremist groups and to allow free movement for the company’s trucks and employees. This was despite other multinational companies leaving Syria in 2012, citing safety concerns. Lafarge only evacuated its expatriate employees, leaving its Syrian staff in place until September 2014, when the Islamic State seized control of the factory.
The case against Lafarge was first brought to light in 2016, with media reports and legal complaints filed by the French finance ministry and non-governmental groups. An investigation was subsequently launched in France, and Lafarge has since pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated foreign “terrorist” organizations in a separate case in the United States.
The US case saw Lafarge agree to pay a $778-million fine, in the first case of its kind against a corporation. The company’s actions have been widely condemned, with some 430 Americans of Yazidi background and Nobel laureate Nadia Murad filing a civil suit accusing Lafarge of supporting brutal attacks on the population through a conspiracy with the Islamic State.
The trial in Paris will examine the extent to which Lafarge was involved with extremist groups in Syria and whether the company’s actions constituted a breach of international law. The case has significant implications for corporations operating in conflict zones and highlights the need for companies to ensure that their activities do not support or enable terrorist organizations.