A French court found cement giant Lafarge and eight of its former employees guilty of financing ISIL in Syria. The verdict follows a trial regarding the company's financial transfers to armed groups in the region.
Prosecutors stated that the company paid millions of dollars to militant factions. These payments were intended to keep a Syrian manufacturing plant running during the conflict.
Former CEO Bruno Lafont received a sentence of six years in prison. The court's decision holds both the corporation and its former leadership accountable for the funding.
Payments to armed groups
The prosecution's case focused on the scale of the payments made to maintain industrial operations. According to Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, the company directed millions to groups linked to ISIL to ensure the plant remained functional.
The court found that the funds provided essential support to the militant groups. These transactions were part of a strategy to protect the company's assets in the Syrian territory.
The eight former employees were also found guilty alongside the company. The trial examined the legality of using massive payments to secure business interests in active war zones.
The ruling follows investigations into the company's activities in Syria. The court's decision establishes the legal consequences for companies that fund extremist groups to sustain operations.
The prosecution's evidence showed that the payments were part of a continuous effort to safeguard the plant. The company's leadership authorized these transfers to prevent the disruption of production.
The verdict concludes a legal process investigating the intersection of corporate interests and terrorist financing. The court determined that the financial support directly aided the operations of ISIL.
