It has remained unclear when the trial would begin regarding the case over the French cement giant Lafarge’s alleged link to the Daesh/ISIS terror group.
Despite the decision by a French court in September 2021 that the company should be investigated on charges of complicity in crimes against humanity — followed by the Court of Cassation’s indictment this May — no date has been announced yet for the trial.
It has been five years since the case that Lafarge provided financing to terrorism to continue its activities in Syria was submitted to the judiciary.
Also, no official statement was made on whether the investigation file was transferred to new judges, despite the defendant’s request and the court’s decision.
Cannelle Lavite, a lawyer from one of the civil parties in the case — European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights — told Anadolu Agency that it is unknown where the money from the alleged link between Lafarge and the terror group was spent.
‘Lafarge issue is not uncommon in France’
She stressed that there is no evidence showing that the Daesh/ISIS terrorist attacks in France were not carried out with the money Lafarge allegedly gave to the terror group.
Commercial activities of the companies will not exempt them from their responsibilities and Lafarge should be seen as “a partner in the crime against humanity,” added Lavite.
Revealing of the documents in the media will shed light on the case, she stressed, saying the Lafarge issue is not uncommon in France.
Inconclusive judicial processes against companies involved in crimes do not have a deterrent effect, Lavite noted, adding that Lafarge is using all possible opportunities to slow down and postpone the hearing.
“At this stage, we don’t even know if Lafarge will be prosecuted for the charges,” she said, referring to the current situation that a date has yet to be announced for the trial.
Paying to foreign groups
Lafarge is a French industrial company that specializes in cement, concrete, and construction aggregates. The company was accused of paying almost €13 million ($13.68 million) to foreign groups, including the terrorist organization Daesh/ISIS, to maintain their factory presence in the city of Jalabiya in northern Syria during the civil war.
CEO Bruno Lafont and eight Lafarge executives were also accused of financing a terror group and endangering the lives of others.
In 2019, the Paris Court of Appeals dismissed the charges of crimes against humanity, accepting the defense that payments made by Lafarge were not used in aiding or abetting the war effort. The other charges stood though, including that of violating an EU embargo.
Lafarge has denied any wrongdoing in the allegations that it negotiated with terrorist organizations, and has continued to fight all charges.
Documents obtained and published by Anadolu Agency earlier had revealed that Lafarge constantly informed the French intelligence agencies about its ties with the Daesh/ISIS terror group.
The documents unveiled that Lafarge ran a relationship with the group and the French intelligence was aware of it. They showed that the French intelligence agencies used Lafarge’s network of relations, its cooperation with the terror groups in Syria, and meetings to maintain its operations there to get news from the region. They also revealed that the French intelligence did not warn the company that they were committing a crime.
Source: Anadolu Agency