To: attorney.general@usdoj.gov

Subject Line: Urgent Request: Directing Lafarge's Forfeited $687 Million to Victims and Survivors

Copy and paste the email below:

Dear Attorney General Merrick Garland,

I'm writing to you to request in the strongest of terms that the $687 million forfeited by Lafarge in its 2022 guilty plea for conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist organizations be used to benefit victims and survivors of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)'s and Al-Nushrah Front (ANF)'s Syria-linked crimes. These communities have no access to effective remedies in Syria and limited avenues for recovery elsewhere. The Lafarge plea agreement offered a sliver of hope that they could receive long-overdue support guided by their input.

While I acknowledge the logistical hurdles, directing the assets to victims and survivors is in line with the Department of Justice's policy and precedent. Over the past few years, you have worked admirably to ensure that the Ukrainian people receive much-needed support by repurposing Russia-linked forfeited assets—where necessary, "pursuing creative solutions" to do so. We ask that you likewise use your discretionary powers and creative solutions to earmark the Lafarge funds to benefit victims and survivors.

Last week, 53 civil society organizations and individuals —including Syrian victim and survivor associations, Yezidi organizations, and international human rights organizations—publicly requested that you direct the Lafarge funds to victims and survivors. I reiterate their request and their assertion that no state should profit from international law violations in Syria.

Sincerely,