Lafarge case in Syria
For justice beyond
borders
Why was a legal action brought against Lafarge?
Sherpa recalls that any person accused or prosecuted by a national or international jurisdiction is presumed innocent until found guilty by a final court decision. In this respect, an appealable decision does not constitute a final decision.
In 2008, the French company Lafarge bought a cement plant in northern Syria for nearly 680 million euros. As the Syrian conflict escalated and armed groups proliferated, Lafarge decided in 2012 to evacuate its foreign employees, while continuing to run the plant with its Syrian employees.
The company is accused of making arrangements with armed groups, including the Islamic State, and transferring up to 13 million euros to facilitate cement deliveries and the crossing of checkpoints by employees, to buy raw materials, and to sell its cement. Despite the severe risks faced by the Syrian employees -several of whom were kidnapped- Lafarge continued to operate the factory until it was attacked by the Islamic State in September 2014.
After news reports revealed Lafarge’s dealings in Syria, Sherpa, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) and eleven former Syrian employees of Lafarge filed a complaint in France in November 2016 against Lafarge, its Syrian subsidiary, and several executives.
In late 2025, a trial concerning the financing of terrorist organisations was held at the Paris Criminal Court against Lafarge and eight individuals, including four senior executives of the company. This trial – unprecedented as it is the first time a multinational has been tried for financing terrorism – allowed several former employees to testify about the impact of Lafarge’s decisions on their lives and the harm they suffered.
Lafarge is also under investigation for complicity in crimes against humanity, a world first. This historic development highlights the crucial role of civil society, and in particular of NGOs, in combating impunity for economic actors when human rights abuses are committed abroad.
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Impact
Why initiate legal action?
The law is a tool of power in a globalised world. It underpins power relations and encourages impunity for the most powerful. Because of their transnational nature, or the political and economic stakes involved, many violations escape justice. Bringing cases before the courts means putting the debate back on a legal footing, giving a voice to the people affected and thus restoring the legal tool to social movements.
Thanks to the work of NGOs and journalists, the consequences of globalisation are increasingly being documented and denounced. Our legal actions make it possible to initiate an contentious proceedings, establish the facts and apply the rules of law to these situations. They also aim to provide practical solutions by putting a stop to violations, holding the players concerned responsible and/or enabling victims to obtain compensation.
In support of our advocacy and in parallel with our legal laboratory and capacity-sharing activities, our legal actions are designed to contribute to wider and lasting change. They fuel public debate to highlight the limits of the legal framework and the obstacles facing the victims of globalised capitalism. They set precedents that shape a more protective legal framework.
