Paris Court Convicts Lafarge of Syria Terror Financing

A Paris court ruled on Monday that cement company Lafarge, now part of Swiss conglomerate Holcim, and several of its former executives were guilty of financing terrorism through payments to jihadist groups in Syria during the civil war. The decision marks the first time a company has been tried in France on such charges.

The court determined that between 2013 and September 2014, Lafarge's Syrian subsidiary paid approximately 5.6 million euros to armed groups, including the Islamic State and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, both designated as terrorist organizations by the European Union. Of that amount, about 972,000 euros went directly to the groups, with more than 584,000 euros to the Islamic State. The payments, made through intermediaries, secured supply routes, safe passage for employees and trucks, and access to raw materials from quarries under militant control, allowing the company's Jalabiya plant in northern Syria to continue operations amid escalating conflict.

Former CEO Bruno Lafont received a six-year prison sentence for financing terrorism, with the judge ordering immediate enforcement despite plans by his lawyer to appeal. Former deputy managing director...