A French court has convicted Lafarge of financing terrorism after it was found to have paid millions of dollars to armed extremist groups, including Islamic State, to maintain its operations in Syria amid the civil war.

According to a report by TheCable, the court in Paris revealed that the company transferred about $6.5 million between 2013 and 2014 to various militant groups in northern Syria. The payments were aimed at ensuring staff mobility, securing access to raw materials, and keeping its cement facility in Jalabiya operational.

The court further established that some of the funds were directed to both the Islamic State and the Nusra Front, a group affiliated with al-Qaeda and classified as a terrorist organisation.

Presiding judge Isabelle Prévost-Desprez stated that the financial support provided by the company contributed to strengthening the operational capacity of these banned groups, enabling them to fund attacks across the Middle East and Europe.

She noted that the payments played a significant role in helping the organisations access resources and sustain their activities beyond the region.

Lafarge, now a subsidiary of Holcim, acknowledged the court’s decision, describing the incident as a legacy issue tied to actions that took place over a decade ago and violated the company’s internal ethical standards.

The firm admitted that the conduct breached its code of practice, stressing that the events occurred during a challenging period before the plant was eventually shut down.

Lafarge had acquired the Jalabiya cement plant in 2008 and commenced operations in 2010, shortly before the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War. The controversial payments reportedly continued until September 2014.