Lafarge Executives Convicted in France for Financing Terrorism; Sentences Issued Following Paris Trial

PARIS, FRANCE – A French criminal court has convicted senior executives of Lafarge S.A., a Swiss-French cement company headquartered in France, and its Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria, S.A. (LCS), for financing terrorism and violating international sanctions, concluding a multi-year investigation into corporate payments made to designated terrorist organizations.

Following a six-week trial in Paris, the court found the chief executive officer, executive vice president, and four additional executives guilty, along with two Syrian intermediaries involved in facilitating financial transfers. Sentences ranged from seven years to 18 months of imprisonment, and the defendants were collectively ordered to pay approximately 5.695 million euros (about $6.7 million) in fines.

The convictions stem from findings that, between 2013 and 2014, Lafarge and LCS transferred approximately 5.6 million euros (about $6.5 million) to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and the al-Nusrah Front (ANF)—both designated foreign terrorist organizations. These payments were made to maintain operations at the company’s cement plant in northern Syria during a period of active conflict and territorial control by extremist groups.

According to investigative findings, the payments were structured to secure operational continuity, including preventing interference with facility operations, protecting personnel from kidnapping threats, and ensuring access to regional markets. Evidence further indicated that funds were used to influence competitive conditions by enabling disruptions to rival cement imports in the region.

This case intersects with prior enforcement action in the United States. On October 18, 2022, Lafarge and LCS pleaded guilty in the Eastern District of New York to conspiracy to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations. As part of that resolution, the entities agreed to pay a total of $777.28 million, including a $90.78 million criminal fine and $687 million in forfeiture. That action marked the first prosecution of a corporation in the United States for material support to terrorism and resulted in the largest financial penalty imposed in a terrorism-related corporate case.

Federal authorities emphasized that the conduct represented a deliberate financial relationship with terrorist entities, extending beyond incidental contact and into structured transactions that directly supported operational capabilities.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), with support from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The JTTF operates as a multi-agency unit responsible for identifying, disrupting, and prosecuting terrorism-related activity, including cases with international scope and impact on U.S. national security.

Officials noted that corporate engagement with designated terrorist organizations, regardless of geographic location, constitutes a significant violation of international law and presents ongoing risks to global security frameworks.

Further proceedings and enforcement actions may continue as international coordination efforts remain active.

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