A Paris court on Monday convicted French cement giant Lafarge and eight of its former executives of financing terrorism, ruling that the company paid millions of dollars to jihadist groups to keep a Syrian plant running during the country’s civil war. Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, effective immediately, while seven other former executives received terms ranging from 18 months to seven years.
The criminal court also fined the company 1.125 million euros ($1.32 million) for the terrorism charge, and levied a joint 4.57 million euros ($5.35 million) customs fine against Lafarge and four executives for violating international financial sanctions. Investigators showed that between August 2013 and October 2014, the company paid approximately $5.9 million to three terrorist organisations, including ISIS and Al-Nusrah Front, through monthly “security payments” and raw material purchases.
The money, investigators said, helped fund the 2015 terror attacks in France. Lafarge, now owned by the Swiss group Holcim, had sought to keep its $680 million Jalabiyeh plant in northern Syria open despite the escalating war. The company evacuated foreign staff in 2012 but left Syrian employees behind to run the facility.
Sherpa, a French anti-corruption NGO that filed a criminal complaint against Lafarge in 2016 alongside former Syrian employees, described the ruling as “historic and highly symbolic.” Anna Kiefer, Litigation and Advocacy Officer at Sherpa, said the verdict marks the first time a French multinational has been convicted of financing terrorism. “Sherpa hopes this decision will send a strong message to companies operating in conflict zones, that they could be held accountable in court for crimes related to their actions abroad.”
For Nigeria’s economy, the ruling highlights the reputational and legal risks for multinational corporations operating in unstable regions. Lafarge has a significant presence in Nigeria through Lafarge Africa, a major cement producer. While the Nigerian subsidiary is not implicated, the parent company’s conviction may affect investor confidence, corporate governance standards, and the regulatory environment for foreign direct investment.
