French court sentences Lafarge CEO to six years for funding Islamic State in Syria

A French court on Monday sentenced the former CEO of cement manufacturer Lafarge to six years in prison and fined the company over $1.3 million for paying protection money to the Islamic State and other jihadist groups to maintain operations in war-torn Syria. The case represents one of the first major convictions of a Western corporate executive for funding terrorist organizations. Lafarge's decision to continue Syrian operations and pay protection payments to designated terror groups raises questions about corporate responsibility during armed conflicts and enforcement of international sanctions regimes.