Lafarge partially unsuccessful with appeal in Syria trial in Paris
Published: Tuesday, Jan 16th 2024, 16:31
Updated At: Tuesday, Jan 16th 2024, 16:31
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The French Holcim subsidiary Lafarge has partially failed with an appeal in the Paris trial concerning its activities in the civil war country of Syria. The French Court of Cassation has admitted the charge of aiding and abetting crimes against humanity.
The charge of financing terrorist activities also remains in place. In contrast, the Supreme Court quashed the charge of endangering the lives of his Syrian employees. This ruling was handed down by the Court of Cassation on Tuesday afternoon. The reason for this was that French law was not applicable to the employees in Syria. They were subject to Syrian law, the French Supreme Court ruled.
In doing so, it overturned a ruling by the lower court, the Paris Court of Appeal, in May 2022. Lafarge had challenged this.
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.
Charges determined
The lawyers for the civil parties had taken a different view: They argued at a hearing before the Court of Cassation in September that French law was applicable. They emphasized that the French employees had already been taken back to their home country in 2012, while the Syrian employees had maintained operations.
The proceedings are a kind of preliminary trial in which the charges are determined. Only then can the main trial begin. This would take place before the court of first instance.
When asked by the news agency AWP, a Lafarge spokesperson simply explained that the case was a legacy issue for Lafarge S.A.. The company is in the process of settling the case as part of the French legal proceedings.
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.
©Keystone/SDA
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