The ‘Lafarge’ Trial Continues with the ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Charge

On the 7 th of September 2021, the French Court of Cassation overruled the Paris Court of
Appeal by including the ‘crimes against humanity’ charge in the trial against the French
construction company ‘Lafarge.’ During the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, Lafarge kept its
cement factory open in Northern Syria. In order to do so, and to ensure that its personnel
and products could move freely in the region, Lafarge paid 13 million euro’s a variety of
terrorist groups, including the the Islamic State and Levant in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It is this
financial arrangement which forms the foundation of the charge that Lafarge was complicit
in the crimes against humanity perpetrated by ISIS. The company sought to reject this charge
by arguing that they did not intend to support ISIS’ human rights violations through this
financial arrangement. Unlike the Paris Court of Appeals, the Court ruled that it was
irrelevant that Lafarge did not have the intent to aid the widespread crimes against
humanity committed by ISIS. As succinctly summarised by the Court of Cassation: “one can
be complicit in crimes against humanity even if one doesn’t have th[a]t intention” (News
Wires 2021). For more detailed information, please visit:
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210907-french-firm-lafarge-loses-bid-to-dismiss-
crimes-against-humanity-case-in-syria