Who Profits from War? Holding corporations to account for international crimes

In France, a landmark verdict is shaking the global business community: On 13 April 2026, the cement multinational Lafarge and four former senior executives were convicted of financing terrorism in Syria and violating international sanctions by the Paris Criminal Court. Lafarge, along with four former executives, was found guilty of financing terrorist groups – notably the Islamic State – totaling €5.5 million between 2013 and 2014 to keep its cement plant in Syria operational amidst the civil war, despite the risks to its employees.

Moreover, Lafarge is the first company in the world ever to be charged with complicity in crimes against humanity. And it may not be the last. A similar complaint has just been filed against TotalEnergies, alleging complicity in war crimes carried out at its gas facility in Mozambique.

These cases may not mean the end of corporate impunity, but they are a historical moment of confrontation paving the way for a new era of accountability where corporations, like political and military leaders, are confronted with criminal responsibility.