Bangladesh, Nov. 4 -- A French court has begun one of the most significant corporate trials in recent history, placing multinational cement producer Lafarge in the dock over allegations that it financed terrorist groups, including ISIS and al-Nusrah Front (ANF), during Syrias brutal civil war. The case, which opened on November 4 at the Paris Criminal Court, raises grave questions about corporate ethics, complicity in war crimes, and the accountability of global companies operating in conflict zones.

The French prosecution alleges that between 2013 and 2014, Lafarge paid millions of euros to various armed factions in Syria to maintain operations at its plant in Jalabiyeh, located in the countrys volatile north. Among those allegedly rece...