According to the newspaper, the Economy Ministry of France filed an application to the Prosecution Office as early as September, 2016. In the opinion of the Ministry's representatives, top management of Lafarge plant located in northern Syria violated the EU sanctions against oil purchases, imposed against the government of Bashar Assad in 2012.
In November, 2016, French NGO Sherpa initiated a case against LafargeHolcim, accusing the company in financing of ISIS terrorist organization (prohibited on the territory of Russia) in Syria and complicity with war crimes.