Cement firm Lafarge indicted over complicity in Syria crimes
Preliminary charges include financing a terrorist enterprise and complicity in crimes against humanity
Keystone
The Franco-Swiss cement giant LafargeHolcim on Thursday said its French predecessor company Lafarge SA has been put under formal investigation into allegations it funded armed militant groups in Syria to keep a plant open.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/AFP/Reuters/ds
The Lafarge cement company, which merged with Switzerland’s Holcim in 2015, was indicted on Thursday for “complicity” in crimes against humanity.
The firm is accused of having financed jihadists in Syria, including the Islamic State group, which has directed and inspired multiple deadly attacks in Europe.
The indictment concerns the plants of a Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS), located in Jalabiya in the north of the war-torn nation, according to a LafargeHolcim statement issued on Thursday.
Lafarge SA is the majority shareholder in the Syrian subsidiary of LCS.
A panel of three judges is overseeing the investigation into accusations of “financing a terrorist enterprise” and “endangering the lives” of former employees.
The indictment decision is in line with Paris prosecutor’s office requisition, a judicial source told Agence France-Presse.
Lafarge SA is subject to a judicial control including a guarantee of €30 million (CHF 34.3 million).
The cement manufacturer said the indictment was “expected”, as several of its former executives had already been indicted.
The company attributes the “breaches” in Syria to “unprecedented” violations of internal regulations by “a few people who left the group”.
It will contest the allegations on this basis, saying they “do not fairly reflect Lafarge SA’s responsibilities” in the matter.
Thursday’s decision comes after eight indictments of the cement company’s top managers, including ex-Chief Executive Officer Bruno Lafont, who oversaw the company from 2007 to 2015.
In its press release, the cement manufacturer confirmed that “unacceptable individual errors were committed in Syria until the site was evacuated in September 2014” and promised full cooperation with the authorities.
Popular Stories
More
Life & Aging
Zurich: how the world capital of housing shortages is tackling the problem
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
This content was published on
A Geneva-registered tourist plane grazed some ski mountaineers on Saturday on a glacier on the Swiss side of the Monte Rosa massif.
Sharp rise in reports of suspicious sports betting in Switzerland
This content was published on
Last year the Intercantonal Gambling Supervisory Authority received 184 reports of suspicious activities in connection with 166 sports competitions.
Swiss fencers apologise for diplomatic scandal with Israel
This content was published on
Two days after causing a diplomatic scandal at the U23 European Championships in Tallinn, the Swiss fencers responsible have published a jointly signed apology on Instagram.
Air in climbing gyms more polluted than on streets
This content was published on
The concentration of potentially harmful chemicals in climbing gyms is sometimes higher than on busy roads, say researchers from Switzerland and Austria.
This content was published on
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved slightly higher sales at the start of the year. However, profits fell sharply, partly due to the late Easter.
Switzerland’s first padel court on water built in Arosa
This content was published on
Switzerland's first padel tennis court on water will open on the Obersee in Arosa, canton Graubünden, for the 2025 summer season.
This content was published on
Wine consumption in Switzerland fell by almost 8% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Swiss wines are particularly affected by the decline.
Jackie Chan to be honoured for life’s work at Locarno Film Festival
This content was published on
Martial artist Jackie Chan will receive an Honorary Leopard, a lifetime achievement award, from the Locarno Film Festival in southern Switzerland in August.
Novartis raises forecast again after strong Q1 results
This content was published on
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis has continued the strong pace of growth of recent quarters in the first three months of 2025.
Swiss canton holds first general meeting on winegrowing
This content was published on
More than 250 professionals attended the first general meeting of the Valais wine industry on Monday in Conthey, western Switzerland.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
LafargeHolcim admits to paying off armed groups in Syria
This content was published on
On Thursday, the company issued a press release responding to allegations made in numerous publications in 2016 about the company making deals with Syrian armed groups. An independent investigation supervised by its board’s finance and audit committee revealed the then Syrian branch of the then Lafarge company (before its merger with Holcim) had dealt with…
LafargeHolcim managers investigated over Syria payments
This content was published on
The trio appeared before a magistrate in Paris on Friday who has initiated an investigation into allegations of “financing a terrorist enterprise” and “endangering the lives of others”, according to the Swiss news agency. They stand accused of facilitating payments to people with links to the Islamic State group between 2013 and 2014, which…
This content was published on
The Swiss-French cement giant LafargeHolcim has reached an agreement with a labour union in India over contracts and wages of temporary workers.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.