Lars Akerhaug
Lars Akerhaug (24 October 1981 – 22 July 2025) was a Norwegian journalist and non-fiction author. He was previously a journalist for Verdens Gang, Aftenposten, and Dagen,[1] and wrote for the periodical Minerva with a focus on Islam and as a freelancer.[2]
Akerhaug authored the investigative journalism books Norsk jihad (Norwegian jihad; 2013) about Norwegian Islamists, and En norsk terrorist (A Norwegian terrorist; 2015) about Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow, the Norwegian perpetrator of the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Kenya.[3] Both books received good reviews in Dagbladet.[4][5] He was granted kr 100.000 from Fritt Ord for development of the book Siste jul i Kairo (Last Christmas in Cairo; 2016), about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.[6][7] Akerhaug was considered an expert on Islamic extremism.[8][9][10][11]
Having publicly confronted his own past as a radical leftist and former member of the Workers' Communist Party (AKP) who once represented the Red Electoral Alliance (RV) in the Bærum municipal council, Akerhaug also produced criticism of contemporary leftism.[12][13]
He became editorial chief of the far-right online newspaper Resett from 2019[14] to 2021,[15] but after departing strongly distanced himself from the website.[1]
After departing Resett, he became a journalist for the local newspaper Raumnes,[16] and also wrote for the multicultural newspaper Utrop.[17]
Akerhaug died on 22 July 2025,[18] at the age of 44.[19]
Published books
- 2013: Norsk jihad: muslimske ekstremister blant oss. Kagge. ISBN 9788248914457
- 2015: En norsk terrorist: portrett av den nye ekstremismen. Kagge. ISBN 9788248916666
- 2016: Siste jul i Kairo: fortellingen om Midtøstens siste kristne. Dreyer. ISBN 9788282651615
References
- ^ a b Løyning, Karoline; Solberg, Kristoffer (24 July 2025). "Journalist Lars Akerhaug (44) er død". Dagbladet (in Norwegian).
- ^ "Redaksjonen". Minerva (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 15 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
- ^ "Oppgjør med forklaringer". Vårt Land (in Norwegian). 28 September 2015.
- ^ "Hva får vanlig norsk ungdom til å gå inn for steining av utro kvinner?". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 2 September 2013.
- ^ "Anmeldelse: "En norsk terrorist" er en sterk bok om Larvik-gutten som ble terrorist i Nairobi". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 25 September 2015.
- ^ "Årets Skup-vinner har fått penger til å skrive bok om fredsarbeid". journalisten.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Union of Journalists. 11 September 2015.
- ^ "Truet for sin tro". Dagen (in Norwegian). 29 December 2015.
- ^ "– Kan bli en oppsving i det radikale miljøet" (in Norwegian). NRK. 14 January 2015.
- ^ "Har varslet norsk politi om antatt IS-medlem ettersøkt i Sverige". Dagbladet (in Norwegian). 19 November 2015. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015.
- ^ "Islamekspert: – Frp-språket fører ikke til ekstremisme". Aftenposten/NTB (in Norwegian). 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015.
- ^ "– For enkelt å gi Frp skylden for radikalisering". Vårt Land (in Norwegian). 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016.
- ^ "– Venstresiden har bare én sannhet" (in Norwegian). NRK. 30 July 2013.
- ^ "Eks-ekstremisten". Budstikka (in Norwegian). 20 October 2013.
- ^ Heiervang, Camilla (29 December 2018). "Lars Akerhaug er ny redaksjonssjef i Resett: – Innvandringssaken er verdt å gå i krigen for". Aftenposten (in Norwegian).
- ^ Tobiassen, Markus (2 December 2021). "Bryter med den alternative nettavisen Resett". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian).
- ^ Johannesborg, Philip A.; Eriksen, Siri Øverland (1 September 2022). "Fra ytre høyre til indre Romerike". A-magasinet (in Norwegian).
- ^ Silvola, Nils Martin (19 March 2024). "Ny sidejobb: Lars Akerhaug frilanser for Utrop". Journalisten (in Norwegian).
- ^ Death notice
- ^ Nyhammer Vik, Jeanette; Wian, Isabel; Hokaasen Røyne, Henrik (24 July 2025). "Lars Akerhaug (44) er død" [Lars Akerhaug (44) has died]. tv2.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 25 July 2025.