Lafarge trial fails to explain Syria operations during civil war
The company faces accusations of financing the terrorist organization Daesh (ISIS) between 2013 and 2014.
Documents published in 2021 suggested that payments made by Lafarge to ISIS may have occurred with the awareness of French intelligence services. The trial followed a 2016 complaint filed by the anti-corruption NGO Sherpa, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights, and 11 former Syrian employees of Lafarge. The complaint accused the company of “financing terrorism” and “complicity in crimes against humanity.”
Prosecutors opened an investigation in 2017 into several senior executives, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, on charges of financing a terrorist organization. After an eight-year inquiry, a six-week trial was held between November 4 and December 19 at the Paris Criminal Court. Lafarge and eight individuals, including four former executives, faced charges of financing terrorist groups and maintaining contact with French intelligence. Syrian national Firas Tlass, accused of acting as an intermediary between Lafarge and terrorist organizations, did not attend any hearings.
The prosecution contends that Lafarge made “security payments” to terrorist organizations through Tlass to allow employees safe passage through checkpoints. Former executives admitted paying what they described as “protection money” while maintaining contact with French intelligence to preserve operations in the region. Lafarge’s defense argued the plant remained open to protect local jobs, a claim that failed to convince the court or civil parties.
Former Syrian employees testified that passing through terrorist-controlled checkpoints repeatedly endangered their lives, with some colleagues kidnapped. Bruno Lafont denied knowledge of the payments: "I never suspected any payments to terrorist organizations."
However, former deputy director of operations Christian Herrault testified that Lafont had been informed of negotiations with the groups: "I told him that the negotiations were taking place."
Herrault explained that extortion payments to terrorist organizations had become routine.
Evidence presented during the trial indicated that Lafarge’s former head of security, Jean-Claude Veillard, held numerous meetings with French intelligence officers. Frederic Jolibois, who headed Lafarge Cement Syria between 2014 and 2016, testified that the French Foreign Intelligence Agency (DGSE) contacted him to recruit former employees as informants. However, a DGSE official denied requesting intelligence from Lafarge staff.
Christophe Gomart, former director of France’s Military Intelligence Unit (DRM), acknowledged ties with Veillard but said he was unaware of the payments to terrorist groups. Veillard reported the payments to intelligence in summer 2014 and emphasized that he voluntarily provided information, calling it a “gold mine” of intelligence.
On December 16, France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office requested prison sentences ranging from 18 months to eight years for the defendants, along with fines of €4,000 ($4,695) to €225,000 ($264,000), partial asset confiscation, and commercial activity bans. Prosecutors also sought a €1.125 million ($1.32 million) fine for Lafarge, plus a €4.57 million ($5.36 million) customs penalty for violating EU embargoes on financial or commercial dealings with terrorist organizations.
Despite the trial, it remains unclear why Lafarge continued operations in terror-controlled areas. The verdict, presided over by Judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez, is expected on April 13, 2026.
Anna Kiefer, a Sherpa member, noted that defendants refused to accept responsibility for the payments. She highlighted testimony from former Syrian employees about checkpoint dangers as particularly significant. “Sending a strong message to companies is important,” she said, emphasizing that businesses must be held accountable for activities abroad.
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