A Paris court found Lafarge guilty in a Syria financing case tied to payments made to armed groups and intermediaries. Later reporting said the company was fined and former executives received prison sentences.
A Paris court has found French cement manufacturer Lafarge guilty in a long-running case over payments made in Syria to keep a cement plant operating during the civil war.
The verdict was reported on April 13 by AFP and Reuters, with later coverage from Le Monde adding that the court also imposed fines and prison sentences, including for former executives such as ex-CEO Bruno Lafont.
The case centers on allegations that Lafarge made payments to armed groups and intermediaries in Syria while trying to preserve operations at its plant. Prosecutors argued the arrangement amounted to financing terrorism and violating European sanctions.
The ruling is a major milestone in a case that has drawn close attention in France and beyond because it tested whether a company could be held criminally liable for dealings with armed groups in a war zone.
AFP and Reuters both reported the guilty verdict, while Le Monde described the court as condemning an "organized, opaque and illegal" funding system in the trial.
The next question is whether the defendants will appeal. The verdict also leaves open how the ruling may affect related investigations and legal proceedings involving Lafarge in France.
The case has become one of the most closely watched corporate accountability trials linked to the Syrian war.
Revision note
Updated with verdict and sentencing details.