epa12502482 Bruno Pescheux (C), former head of the Middle East region for the Lafarge Group arrives at Paris Courthouse on the opening day of the trial of the Lafarge company former executives, accused of financing terrorism in Syria in Paris, 04 November 2025. Cement group Lafarge is on trial after being accused to finance the Islamic State group for paying for protection its activity iduring the war in Syria. EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON By Juliette Jabkhiro
Eight former Lafarge employees, including executives, were also found guilty of financing terrorism.
Judges determined that Lafarge in total paid 5.59 million euros ($6.53 million) to jihadist groups including Islamic State and the al Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, both designated as terrorists by the EU, between 2013 and September 2014.
The presiding judge, Isabelle Prevost-Desprez, said the payments made by Lafarge helped strengthen jihadist groups that carried out deadly attacks in Syria and beyond.
"It is clear to the court that the sole purpose of the funding of a terrorist organisation was to keep the Syrian plant running for economic reasons. Payments to terrorist entities enabled Lafarge to continue its operations," Prevost-Desprez said.
"These payments took the form of a genuine commercial partnership with the Islamic State," she added.
There was no immediate reaction from Lafarge or Holcim.
($1 = 0.8559 euros)
(Reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro; Editing by Dominique Vidalon)