On November 4th, 2025, the trial against the French multinational corporation Lafarge is set to begin for financing terrorism and violating international sanction. The company allegedly financed armed groups, including the Islamic State, for more than 5 million euros during the Syrian civil war to keep its cement plant running.
Anna Kiefer of Sherpa alongside Cannelle Lavite and Claire Tixeire of ECCHR explore the stakes of this trial.
“This landmark case has significance on multiple levels: it challenges the scope of criminal liability – for both a parent company and its top executives – for crimes committed via a subsidiary abroad. It marks the first time a corporation in France faces charges of financing terrorism, and it sheds light on how companies contribute to atrocities in conflict zones. At its core, the case raises questions of corporate power, double standards, and the pursuit of accountability for those who enable or profit from grave human rights abuses in Syria and beyond.”
The article notably explores the arguments used by the defence to discredit the accusations of financing terrorism.
The trial for the financing of a terrorist organisation and the violation of international sanctions will run from November 4th to December 16th, 2025.
