Jamie Janson

James "Jamie" Charles Harold Janson (6 September 1975 – 4 September 2019) was a British aid worker who in May 2017 joined the Kurdish YPG[1] and fought against the Islamic State in Syria, originally in Rojava and later in Afrin during the Afrin offensive in early 2018.[2]

Jamie Janson
Jamie in Erbil
Born
James Charles Harold Janson

6 September 1975
Sutherland
Died4 September 2019 (aged 43)
London
EducationEton College
Known forFighting alongside the YPG
Parent(s)Martin Janson
Mary Ann Janson
FamilyElizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland (grandmother)

Harold Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye

(grandfather)

Biography

Jamie was grandson of Elizabeth Sutherland, 24th Countess of Sutherland[3] on his father's side and Harold Balfour, 1st Baron Balfour of Inchrye on his mother's.[4] His Great Uncle was disgraced Conservative politician John Profumo. Educated at Eton College, he rejected his privileged background and worked as a volunteer in refugee camps[5] all over Europe and the Middle East, including the Calais Jungle where he taught English.[6] Jamie wrote a number of articles about his experience working on the refugee trail.[7]

He also spent some years as a film maker, producing videos for activist organisations including the Green Party of England and Wales, Object, NO2ID and others.[8] He also wrote and directed a number of short films[9] and pilot episode of comedy series called 'Be Well', based in a therapy clinic.[10]

Jamie joined the YPG after spending time working in Mosul, distributing medical aid and clean water. What he saw there moved him to take the next step and travel to Syria to join the Kurds to defend Rojava against ISIS.[11] He fought in the liberation of Raqqa, then in January 2017, when Turkey invaded the Kurdish town of Afrin, just over the Syrian border, Jamie decided to stay with the YPG to fight this new threat, despite knowing that fighting a NATO ally could cause problems if he wanted to return to Europe.[12]

Jamie appeared in a number of YPG propaganda videos, including one condemning what he perceived to be Western inaction during the Turkish-led Afrin offensive.[13] as well as being interviewed for numerous print articles and on the BBC.[14][15] Interviews with Jamie also feature heavily in the BBC documentary "Anna, the woman who went to fight ISIS",[16] about the British YPJ fighter, Anna Campbell who died in the Afrin assault.

Upon his return to the UK in 2018, he was arrested in Kent under section 5 of the Terrorism Act.[17] He was still under investigation at the time of his death,[18] although no former YPG volunteers have been successfully prosecuted by the British government.[19]

Jamie died on 4 September 2019, taking his own life after long struggle with mental illness.[20][21]

References
  • Fisher, Lucy (14 September 2019). "Jamie Janson, Profumo relative who fought Isis in Syria, kills himself". The Times. Retrieved 30 September 2019.

Footnotes
  1. Ensor, Josie; Dixon, Hayley (26 January 2018). "Aristocratic relative of John Profumo says fighting Turkish army in Syria will make him 'black sheep'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  2. "'I hope I haven't killed anyone'". BBC News. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  3. "Tragic death of Countess of Sutherland's grandson". Northern Times. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. Ensor, Josie; Sawer, Patrick (2 May 2018). "Profumo nephew Jamie Janson arrested returning to Britain after fighting in Syria". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  5. Defence Correspondent, Lucy Fisher (14 September 2019). "Jamie Janson, Profumo relative who fought Isis in Syria, kills himself". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  6. "Tragic death of Countess of Sutherland's grandson". Northern Times. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  7. "The terror and trauma of life as a Syrian refugee". CapX. 9 January 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  8. "phemefilms". Retrieved 1 October 2019 – via YouTube.
  9. "Jamie Janson". IMDb. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  10. "Be Well Episode 1 – Sue". Retrieved 1 October 2019 – via Vimeo.
  11. "'I hope I haven't killed anyone'". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  12. "'I hope I haven't killed anyone'". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  13. Internationalist Jamie Janson: "The human cost is enormous, the destruction indescriminate.", retrieved 23 September 2019
  14. "'I hope I haven't killed anyone'". BBC News. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  15. "BBC World Service – Newshour, Syrian town of Afrin on 'edge of disaster'". BBC. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  16. "BBC Two – Anna: The Woman Who Went to Fight ISIS". BBC. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  17. "John Profumo's grand-nephew arrested by terror police after fighting against Isis in Syria". The Independent. 3 May 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  18. Evans, Martin (13 September 2019). "John Profumo's great nephew, who fought against Isil, dies 16-months after returning from Syria". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  19. "British man who fought Isis in Syria faces retrial over terror charges". The Independent. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  20. Evans, Martin (13 September 2019). "John Profumo's great nephew, who fought against Isil, dies 16-months after returning from Syria". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  21. Defence Correspondent, Lucy Fisher (14 September 2019). "Jamie Janson, Profumo relative who fought Isis in Syria, kills himself". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
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