Lafarge in Syria: Paris court announces verdict for January 16
Published: Thursday, Nov 23rd 2023, 14:40
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The French Court of Cassation will issue a ruling in the Lafarge court case in Syria at the beginning of next year. A hearing was held this week in ongoing appeal proceedings.
The French cement manufacturer Lafarge is known to have been accused of paying bribes to the so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2013 and 2014 - and therefore before its takeover by Swiss competitor Holcim in 2015 - in order to maintain production at the cement factory in Syria.
The highest French court held a hearing in these ongoing proceedings last Tuesday, but did not hold out the prospect of a decision until January 16, 2024. The news agency AWP learned this from the French court on Thursday. However, the court is not dealing with the content of the case, but is merely examining whether the law has been applied correctly.
Lafarge defends itself against charges
Lafarge is specifically accused of aiding and abetting crimes against humanity and endangering the lives of its Syrian employees. A judgment was confirmed by the Paris Court of Appeal last year, following which Lafarge appealed the judgment to the French Supreme Court in May 2022.
Lafarge is defending itself against the charge of endangering the lives of its Syrian employees. The French company argued that only Syrian law was applicable to the employment relationships.
In contrast, the lawyers for the civil parties argued at a hearing in September that French law was applicable. They emphasized that the French employees had already been returned to their home country in 2012, while the Syrian employees had maintained operations.
The proceedings are still a kind of preliminary trial in which the charges are determined. Only then can the main trial begin.
Giant buses in the USA
In the fall of 2022, Lafarge also agreed to a settlement of USD 778 million with the US Department of Justice (DoJ). This also involved allegations of providing material support to organizations classified as terrorist organizations.
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