Lafarge has become the first corporation to be convicted of financing terrorism in France.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: French cement giant Lafarge has been convicted of financing terrorism after paying $6.5 million to various jihadist groups, including the Islamic State (ISIS), to maintain operations at its Syrian plant during the civil war. Eight former employees, including ex-CEO Bruno Lafont, were also found guilty, with Lafont sentenced to six years in prison. 📺 DETAIL: Lafarge purchased the plant in Jalabiya, northern Syria, in 2008 for $680 million, beginning operations in 2010 just before the Syrian civil war erupted. Payments were made between 2013 and 2014 to secure safe passage and purchase materials from quarries under ISIS and other jihadist control. The court emphasized that these payments constituted a “commercial partnership” with terrorist groups, enabling them to finance attacks across the Middle East and Europe. In 2022, Lafarge admitted in a U.S. court to supporting terrorist groups and agreed to pay a $777.8 million penalty. The payments were made during a time when ISIS controlled significant territory in Syria and Iraq, declaring a so-called “caliphate.” Alongside ISIS, Lafarge also gave money to the al-Nusra front, an al-Qaeda affiliate whose former leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is now the President of Syria. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “It is clear to the court that the sole purpose of the funding of a terrorist organization was to keep the Syrian plant running for economic reasons. Payments to terrorist entities enabled Lafarge to continue its operations.” – Judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez. 🎯 IMPACT: The ruling marks the first time a corporation has been convicted in France for financing terrorism, setting a new precedent for corporate accountability in an area that may be controlled by terrorists or other illegal and illegitimate entities. Lafarge, now owned by Swiss conglomerate Holcim, was also fined over €1 million, and a separate investigation into its complicity in crimes against humanity is ongoing. |
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