PARIS

The first hearing in the trial of French cement giant Lafarge, which is accused of financing terrorist groups including ISIS (Daesh) and violating international sanctions through its operations in northern Syria, concluded Tuesday.

Lafarge, as a legal entity, and eight individuals are being tried at the Paris Criminal Court on charges of “financing a terrorist organization.”

Those standing trial include four former French executives of Lafarge, two Syrian intermediaries accused of negotiating with armed groups on behalf of the company, and two security officials -- one Jordanian and one Norwegian.

During the first session, the charges were read to the defendants, and the court announced information about individuals wishing to testify in the case.

The trial, presided over by Judge Isabelle Prevost-Desprez, is expected to continue until Dec. 16.

Elise Le Gall, one of the lawyers representing the civil parties, argued that just as victims of terrorist attacks can be recognized as civil parties in a case, the same should apply to victims of terrorist financing.

Le Gall said that Lafarge’s employees were victimized by the company’s alleged financing of terrorist groups, as payments made to these groups forced workers to pass through checkpoints under the groups' control—some of whom were abducted during this process.

Defense lawyers argued that for an act to be considered terrorism, it must be committed with the intent to carry out a terrorist act, claiming there is a difference between intentionally financing a terrorist group and being forced to do so.

Members of the international anti-corruption non-governmental organization (NGO) Sherpa and the Berlin-based European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), which initiated the case after nearly nine years of legal proceedings, also attended the hearing.

Sherpa member Anna Kiefer reiterated to Anadolu the importance of the case, noting that the trial has drawn significant media attention.

Kiefer said not all defendants attended the first session. Only four former Lafarge executives, one former security officer and one company representative were present.

"Financing terrorism does not require a specific intent,” Kiefer said, stressing that providing or facilitating funds for a terrorist organization is sufficient to be considered guilty.

Cannelle Lavite, co-director of the Business and Human Rights Unit at ECCHR, also reiterated that the financing of terrorist groups in 2013–2014 caused Lafarge employees to suffer.

"When the situation around Lafarge’s factory in Syria became extremely dangerous in July 2012, the company decided to evacuate its foreign employees, while Syrian workers were made to continue working," Lavite said, pointing to "inequality and differential treatment" experienced by Lafarge’s former Syrian employees in 2013-2014.

According to a joint statement by Sherpa and the ECCHR, the trial represents “a unique opportunity for French justice to examine the responsibility of multinational companies operating in conflict zones.”

The statement also described the trial as “a key moment” for former Lafarge employees affected by the company’s activities in Syria, noting that many Syrian workers are expected to testify about their experiences.

It further underlined that a separate investigation into Lafarge for alleged complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing, a first of its kind worldwide.

The eight individuals on trial face up to 10 years in prison and fines of €225,000 ($258,000) if found guilty of financing terrorism, while Lafarge as a corporate entity risks a fine of up to €1.125 million and additional penalties.

If convicted of violating international financial sanctions, the company could face a fine of up to 10 times the amount involved in the breach, approximately €46 million.

Former Lafarge executives charged with the same offense could face up to five years in prison, financial penalties and confiscation of assets obtained through the alleged violations.

Anadolu published evidence proving Lafarge financed terror group ISIS

On Sept. 7, 2021, Anadolu drew international attention by publishing documents proving that Lafarge financed the ISIS terrorist group with the knowledge of French intelligence.

According to the documents, the firm regularly informed French intelligence services about its relations with ISIS, while French intelligence and state institutions failed to warn Lafarge that it was committing crimes against humanity by financing terrorism, as admitted in confidential records.

ISIS used cement purchased from the French firm to build terrorist shelters and tunnels.

As part of an investigation launched in June 2017, several senior executives, including Lafarge’s ex-CEO Bruno Lafont, were charged with financing terrorism.

The charge of complicity in crimes against humanity brought against the company in 2018 was dropped in 2019, but civil parties to the case — Sherpa and the ECCHR — filed an appeal.

On Sept. 7, 2021, France’s Court of Cassation issued a ruling allowing Lafarge to be charged with complicity in crimes against humanity over its financing of ISIS terrorists in Syria.

In May 2022, the Paris Court of Appeals approved the launch of an investigation into Lafarge — whose financing of ISIS was proven by documents obtained by Anadolu — on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity.

In January 2024, France’s Court of Cassation rejected a request to drop the complicity in crimes against humanity charges against Lafarge, allowing the investigation to proceed

That October, three investigating judges decided that the Lafarge group and four of its former executives would stand trial on charges of financing a terrorist group and violating the EU embargo that bans all financial and commercial relations with terrorist groups, including ISIS.