French Cement Giant Lafarge Guilty of Financing ISIS, Ex-CEO Sentenced to Six Years

French cement maker Lafarge has been found guilty of paying millions of dollars to jihadist groups, including the so-called Islamic State, to keep its Syrian plant operating during the civil war. Eight former employees, among them ex-CEO Bruno Lafont, were convicted of financing terrorism. The Paris court ruled that Lafarge paid around $6.5 million between 2013 and 2014 to armed groups controlling territory in northern Syria. Judges said those payments helped proscribed organisations fund attacks across the Middle East and Europe. Lafarge called the decision an important milestone in addressing a legacy matter. Bruno Lafont received a six-year prison sentence. Other executives were jailed for up to seven years and the company was fined over €1 million. A separate investigation into alleged complicity in crimes against humanity is still under way.

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