Lafarge Guilty of Terror Funding

In a landmark ruling, the French cement company Lafarge was convicted of paying millions of dollars in protection money to jihadist groups to keep its Syrian factory operational.

The court condemned the 'organized, opaque and illegal' funding system that directly supported militants who later carried out attacks.

Former CEO Bruno Lafont received a six-year jail term and the company was fined over $1.3 million.

This case marks the first time a major corporation has been held criminally liable for financing terrorism in France.