BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 29. A group of Azerbaijani non-governmental organizations and civil society institutions has sent a joint official appeal to the relevant state bodies and ministries of 48 countries, including the U.S., the UK, Germany, and France, Trend reports.
In the letter, representatives of the civil sector expressed deep concern over the actions of the construction company Lafarge, a member of the Swiss Holcim Group, and its Syrian subsidiary, Lafarge Cement Syria.
According to the text of the appeal, the management of the cement plant in the Syrian region of Jalabiya deliberately continued commercial operations between 2012 and 2014, despite a critical deterioration in the security situation and threats to local workers. To maintain operations on the ground, the company's top management entered into financial agreements with international terrorist groups. These facts have already led to high-profile legal proceedings: in October 2022, Lafarge pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court, paying approximately $778 million in fines and forfeitures.
Furthermore, in April 2026, the Paris Criminal Court found the company itself and several of its former executives guilty of financing terrorism, imposing the maximum corporate fine and handing down real prison sentences to the former officials.
According to the letter, Azerbaijani public figures are demanding that foreign governments ensure strict oversight of the Holcim holding's activities in their countries.
The authors of the letter insist on conducting independent, transparent investigations, declaring that the commercial interests of big business must under no circumstances prevail over international law and humanitarian principles.
