عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

French Court Upholds Charge Against Lafarge Over Syria

An exterior view of the Lafarge Cement plant, owned by LafargeHolcim, in the central England village of Cauldon, Britain, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/John Geddie/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
An exterior view of the Lafarge Cement plant, owned by LafargeHolcim, in the central England village of Cauldon, Britain, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/John Geddie/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
TT
TT

French Court Upholds Charge Against Lafarge Over Syria

An exterior view of the Lafarge Cement plant, owned by LafargeHolcim, in the central England village of Cauldon, Britain, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/John Geddie/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights
An exterior view of the Lafarge Cement plant, owned by LafargeHolcim, in the central England village of Cauldon, Britain, September 17, 2021. REUTERS/John Geddie/ File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

France's top appeals court on Tuesday ruled that cement maker Lafarge could be charged with complicity in crimes against humanity over alleged payoffs to militant groups during Syria's civil war.

Lafarge, now part of Swiss building materials conglomerate Holcim, has acknowledged that it paid nearly 13 million euros ($14.2 million at current rates) to middlemen to keep its Syrian cement factory running in 2013 and 2014, long after other French firms had pulled out of the country.

The company contends that it had no responsibility for the money winding up in the hands of terrorist groups -- which allegedly included ISIS -- and in 2019 a court threw out the charge of complicity in crimes against humanity.

But that ruling was subsequently overturned by France's supreme court, a decision that became final with Tuesday's decision by the country's highest appeals court.

However, the court threw out an earlier charge of endangering the lives of others, saying French law could not be applied to Syrians working in the factory.

Lafarge pulled out foreign staff at its Syrian site in 2012 but kept local workers in place until 2014, when the site was evacuated just before ISIS took it over.

Several Syrian staff and NGOs filed a legal complaint against Lafarge, and France's judiciary opened a probe in 2017.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

North Korea: New US-led Sanctions Monitoring Team Unlawful

South Korean protesters stage a rally against flying of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets into North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The banners read, "Opposition to South Korea-US joint war exercise." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korean protesters stage a rally against flying of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets into North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The banners read, "Opposition to South Korea-US joint war exercise." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
TT
TT

North Korea: New US-led Sanctions Monitoring Team Unlawful

South Korean protesters stage a rally against flying of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets into North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The banners read, "Opposition to South Korea-US joint war exercise." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
South Korean protesters stage a rally against flying of anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets into North Korea, in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024. The banners read, "Opposition to South Korea-US joint war exercise." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

North Korea's foreign minister said a new multilateral sanctions monitoring team led by the United States was "utterly unlawful and illegitimate,” state media reported on Sunday.
The United States, South Korea and Japan on Wednesday announced the launch of a new multinational team to monitor the enforcement of sanctions against North Korea after Russia and China thwarted monitoring activities at the United Nations.
The team was introduced after Russia in March rejected the annual renewal of a UN panel of experts that had over the past 15 years overseen the implementation of sanctions aimed at curbing North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. China, North Korea's chief ally and economic lifeline, abstained from the vote.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have intensified in recent years with North Korea stepping up its development of a series of ballistic missiles and a nuclear arsenal, drawing international sanctions, and forming a close military relations with Russia. Washington has been strengthening its security cooperation with key regional allies South Korea and Japan.
"The forces involved in the smear campaign against the DPRK will have to pay a dear price for it," Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said via state news agency KCNA, using the country's official name.
Choe criticized the team, which would be joined by eight other countries, as Washington's misconduct of flouting the international order and as "the most undisguised violation" of North Korea's sovereignty, Reuters reported.
Washington and Seoul have warned of North Korea's close military ties with Moscow. South Korea's spy agency said on Friday that North Korea has shipped 1,500 special forces troops to Russia's Far East for training and acclimatizing at local military bases and will likely be deployed for combat in the war in Ukraine.
Russia and North Korea both deny they have engaged in arms transfers. The Kremlin has also dismissed South Korean assertions that North Korea may have sent some military personnel to help Russia against Ukraine.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he could not confirm reports that North Korea has sent troops to Russia ahead of what could be a deployment to Ukraine, but added such a move would be concerning, if true.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was willing to lead friendship and cooperation with North Korea to "sustainable and stable development" and contribute to "safeguarding regional and global peace,” North Korean state media reported on Sunday.
Xi sent a reply to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un congratulating China's founding anniversary, according to KCNA.