The case centres on allegations that Lafarge, via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria, paid millions of euros in 2013 and 2014 to armed groups and intermediaries to ensure continued production at its Jalabiya facility in northern Syria during the country’s civil war.

The ruling follows a 2022 case in the United States in which Lafarge pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to designated terrorist organizations and agreed to pay a $778 million fine, marking the first time a corporation faced such charges under U.S. law.

French prosecutors allege that the company made payments totaling at least 4.7 million euros ($5.5 million) to groups including Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra, in exchange for access to raw materials and safe passage for employees and goods.

The payments allegedly continued until September 2014, when Islamic State fighters seized control of the plant.Lafarge completed construction of the $680 million facility in 2010, shortly before the outbreak of the Syrian conflict in 2011, triggered by protests against then-president Bashar al-Assad.

While many multinational firms exited Syria in 2012, Lafarge maintained operations, evacuating expatriate staff but retaining local employees until the site fell under militant control.Defendants include the company, its former chief executive Bruno Lafont, several former operational and security staff, and two Syrian intermediaries.

They face charges including financing terrorism and violating international sanctions.The French national counter-terrorism prosecutor’s office has argued that Lafarge acted with “a single aim: profit,” seeking the maximum corporate fine of 1.12 million euros and confiscation of 30 million euros in assets.

Prosecutors have also requested a six-year prison sentence for Lafont, who has denied knowledge of any illicit payments.During the trial, former deputy managing director Christian Herrault said the decision to keep the plant operating was driven by concern for local employees rather than financial gain.

Lafarge was acquired by Swiss group Holcim in 2015, which has said it had no knowledge of the Syria-related dealings.A separate judicial investigation into potential complicity in crimes against humanity remains ongoing.

The case originated from a 2017 inquiry following media reports and complaints filed by the French finance ministry, non-governmental organizations, and former employees.

The UAE state news agency said the network was engaged in money laundering, terrorism financing and activities that threatened national security.

Authorities added that the group had been operating under a fictitious commercial cover to infiltrate the national economy and pursue external schemes affecting financial stability.

There was no immediate response from Iran or Hezbollah to the allegations.

The announcement comes as the UAE faces sustained security pressure amid escalating hostilities in the region. Since late February, Iran has launched large-scale missile and drone attacks across the Gulf, with Emirati officials saying hundreds of strikes have targeted the country.

According to authorities, attacks have hit oil facilities, ports and areas near major urban centres, underscoring the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in one of the region’s key economic hubs.

The broader conflict expanded on March 2 when Hezbollah entered the war, firing at Israel from Lebanon, prompting Israeli airstrikes on Hezbollah targets.

The UAE, which has long opposed political Islamist movements, has stepped up internal security measures as the war between Iran and Israel increasingly spills across borders, affecting both military and economic domains.

The targeted organization, Addameer, a Ramallah-based legal NGO founded in 1991, is widely known for providing legal representation to Palestinian political prisoners and detainees held in Israeli custody. According to U.S. authorities, Addameer maintains “long-standing affiliation” with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a secular Marxist faction classified as a terrorist group by both the U.S. and Israel.

While Addameer did not issue an immediate response, the move has triggered renewed debate over the politicization of humanitarian work in conflict zones. The U.S. accuses the organization of supporting the military wings of Palestinian groups, including Hamas, under the veil of aid and advocacy.

A History of Tensions

Addameer has long been a point of contention between Israel and international human rights organizations. In 2022, Israeli forces raided its offices, claiming the NGO funneled funds to terror networks. The United Nations strongly criticized the raid, stating that Israel failed to provide “credible evidence” and emphasized that Addameer was engaged in “critical humanitarian, legal, and development work in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.”

The NGO collaborates with major rights watchdogs including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and is a member of the World Organization Against Torture. Despite these affiliations, the Israeli government maintains that the group exploits its legal platform to support extremist agendas.

Advocacy and Accusations

The recent sanctions follow a formal request submitted in February by the Zachor Legal Institute, an Israeli-American group that claims to combat antisemitism and terrorism. The letter, signed by 44 additional organizations, urged the U.S. Treasury to act against Addameer. Zachor’s president, Marc Greendorfer, welcomed the decision, stating: “We are very pleased to see the Treasury following up on our request… Foreign actors spreading hate and violence must be stopped.”

The Treasury’s action reportedly relied in part on undisclosed intelligence provided by the Israeli Security Agency. Critics argue that such evidence remains unverifiable and shrouded in secrecy, casting doubt on the transparency of the designation process.

Human Rights in the Crossfire

Addameer’s work has drawn international attention for its legal defense of Palestinian detainees, including Salah Hammouri, a French-Palestinian human rights lawyer who was arrested by Israel in 2022. That incident was referenced in the U.S. State Department’s human rights report under a section titled “Retaliation Against Human Rights Defenders.”

As the conflict in Gaza intensifies and humanitarian needs escalate, the Treasury’s crackdown is likely to fuel further criticism from civil society groups who argue that legitimate humanitarian aid risks being criminalized.

With geopolitical tensions at a boiling point and humanitarian efforts under increasing scrutiny, the latest U.S. sanctions underscore the fragile intersection between aid, activism, and national security policy in one of the world’s most volatile regions.