Cement Giant Lafarge Convicted of Funding Terror Groups to Keep Syria Plant Open

Cement giant Lafarge has been fined over €1 million by a French court and its former CEO sentenced to six years in prison for paying protection money to Islamic State and other terrorist groups to keep its plant operating in Syria from 2013 to 2014. This follows a 2022 case in the United States where Lafarge pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to designated terrorist organizations and agreed to pay a $778 million fine - the first time a company has faced this charge.

The court ruling reveals the lengths Lafarge went to in order to maintain its business in the war-torn country, even as violence and destruction consumed much of Syria. From 2013 to 2014, the company paid nearly €5.6 million to various armed groups, including ISIS, in order to keep its cement plant operational and protect its employees. This dirty dealing allowed Lafarge to continue profiting from the conflict, prioritizing business over ethics and human rights.

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The details of Lafarge's illicit dealings in Syria have shocked many. The company not only paid off terrorists, but also helped them transport supplies and even allowed the group to use the plant's facilities. This provided crucial support to ISIS and other extremist factions, enabling them to maintain control and spread their reign of terror across the region.