A French appeal court on Wednesday rejected a preliminary charge of “complicity in crimes against humanity” brought against cement maker Lafarge over its operations in Syria, the company said on Thursday.
However, the French company still faces investigation into charges of “financing terrorism”, endangerment of people’s lives and violation of sanctions, Reuters reported.
French authorities are looking into whether Lafarge, which was taken over by Swiss rival Holcim in 2015, paid ISIS in 2013 and 2014 to keep its factories running in areas controlled by the group.
Prosecutors opened their investigation into suspected funding of terrorism in June, 2017.
They probed payments possibly made by Lafarge through intermediaries to armed groups, including ISIS, and into possible purchases of raw materials from intermediaries related to these groups.
According to Reuters, none of the individuals placed under investigation remained with the company, which stopped operating in Syria more than five years ago, LafargeHolcim said.
