France: Lafarge will appeal its conviction for financing terrorist groups in Syria, following a ruling by the Paris Criminal Court ruling on 13 April 2026. According to the Paris Court of Appeal prosecutor’s office, the company and eight co-defendants, including former CEO Bruno Lafont, have filed appeals against the verdict. The court found that Lafarge had paid nearly €5.6m to armed groups, including ISIS, between 2013 and 2014 to maintain operations at its cement plant in Jalabiya, northern Syria.
The court fined the company €1.13m, the maximum penalty for the charge, and imposed a customs fine of €4.57 together with four former executives, for ‘violating international sanctions.’ Former CEO Bruno Lafont received a six-year prison sentence. He is currently being held at a Paris prison, where his request for release is set to be reviewed on 4 May 2026, according to French news channel BFMTV. Other defendants received prison sentences ranging from 18 months to seven years, including a Syrian intermediary who reportedly remains at large.
