A Paris court has convicted French cement company Lafarge of paying around $6.5 million to jihadist groups in Syria, including Islamic State (IS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. 

The ruling marks the first time a company has been tried in France for financing t+rrorism.

Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison for t+rrorism financing, while former deputy managing director Christian Herrault received a five-year sentence. The company was also fined €1.125 million.

The court found that the payments were made through intermediaries to secure the company’s operations and movement of staff in ISIS-controlled areas, but said the funds ultimately supported t+rrorist organisations responsible for vi%lent activities in Syria and abroad.