France: Trial against Lafarge and former executives over alleged financing of Syrian armed groups to begin this November
“Lafarge in Syria: Historic trial begins on financing terrorism”, 3 November 2025
From November 4th to December 16th, French multinational Lafarge and several of its former executives will stand trial before the Paris Criminal Court for financing terrorist organisations during the Syrian civil war. This unprecedented case offers the French justice system a critical opportunity to assess the responsibilities of multinational corporations operating in conflict zones.
In 2016, media investigations revealed that Lafarge had made payments to armed groups, including the Islamic State, to keep its Syrian cement plant running during the war, despite serious risks to its employees. According to the figures established by the investigating judges, Lafarge allegedly paid over €5 million in the form of “security payments” and raw materials purchases.
In the wake of these revelations, Sherpa, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), and 11 former Syrian employees filed a criminal complaint against Lafarge, its Syrian subsidiary, and several executives for complicity in crimes against humanity, financing a terrorist enterprise, and endangering lives.
After eight years of judicial investigation, the company as a corporate entity and four of its former French executives will appear before the Paris Criminal Court tomorrow on charges of financing terrorist organizations and violating international sanctions. Two factory security managers and two Syrian intermediaries will also appear on charges of financing terrorism…
This trial, however, is by no means the final chapter in the legal process. Lafarge remains under formal investigation for complicity in crimes against humanity – a historic first for a corporation...
However, the company will not be judged on this point during the trial that begins tomorrow, as the investigation is not yet complete and could lead to a possible second trial…