Bangladesh, April 14 -- A French court has delivered a historic judgment against cement giant Lafarge, finding the multinational corporation and several of its former executives guilty of financing terrorism during the Syrian civil war. The ruling, issued in Paris on April 13, marks the first time a French company has been criminally convicted for materially supporting terrorist organizations, setting a significant legal and ethical precedent for multinational corporations operating in conflict zones.

The case centers on Lafarges operations in northern Syria, where the company sought to maintain production at its Jalabiyeh cement plant despite the countrys rapid descent into violence following the outbreak of the civil war in 2011. At th...