A Paris court is due to deliver its verdict this week in the case involving former Lafarge operations in Syria, where the company is accused of making payments to armed groups to maintain cement production during the country’s civil war.
The case relates to activities at Lafarge’s Jalabiya cement plant in northern Syria, which was completed in 2010 at a cost of around US$680m. Prosecutors allege that between 2013 and 2014, Lafarge’s Syrian subsidiary paid intermediaries and armed groups, including Daesh and other factions, to secure access to raw materials and allow the continued movement of staff and goods.
French prosecutors have accused the company of “funding terrorism” and breaching international sanctions, stating that payments totalled at least EUR4.7m (US$5.5m). They have requested fines and asset confiscation, as well as prison sentences for former executives, including ex-CEO Bruno Lafont, who denies wrongdoing.
The case follows a 2022 settlement in the United States, in which Lafarge pleaded guilty to providing material support to designated terrorist organisations and agreed to pay US$778m in penalties.
Holcim, which merged with Lafarge in 2015, has stated that it had no knowledge of the activities in Syria. The Jalabiya plant was ultimately seized by armed groups in 2014 and is no longer operational.
A separate legal case in France concerning allegations of complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing.
