Jaan Laaman
Encyclopedia
Jaan Karl Laaman grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts
and Buffalo, New York
. His family emigrated to the US from Estonia
when he was a child. He has a son. He is currently serving a 53-year prison sentence for his role in the bombings of United States government buildings while a member of the United Freedom Front
, an American leftist group which robbed banks, bombed buildings, and murdered law enforcement officers in the 1980s.
In the 1960s, Laaman worked in Students for a Democratic Society
and community organization and advocated against the Vietnam War
and racism. He facilitated youth development in the Black Panther Party
and the Puerto Rican Young Lords
street gang.
In 1972 he was arrested and charged with bombing a Richard Nixon
reelection headquarters building and a police station in New Hampshire
and was sentenced to 20 years. However, he was released in 1978.
In 1979. he and Kazi Toure helped to organize the Amandla
Festival of Unity to support an end to apartheid in Southern Africa
, which featured musician Bob Marley
.
He was eventually caught with several other members of the United Freedom Front, referred to as the Ohio 7, including leader Tom Manning
in 1984. While originally charged with seditious conspiracy
, Laaman was found guilty of five bombings, one attempted bombing, and criminal conspiracy, and sentenced to 53 years in prison.
In 1977, an important New Hampshire State Supreme Court case was won by Laaman.
Laaman v. Helgemoe, 437 F. Supp. 269 (NH 1977). R. Helgemoe was the warden of the New Hampshire State Prison. Laaman sued to receive reading material which he was refused. (Helgemoe claimed that the material was radical, seditious, and even bomb-making instructions.) The New Hampshire court decided in favor of Laaman, and this case eventually was used as a justification for offering college level education in the NH prisons for the first time. The case has been cited for various reasons with respect to prisoners' rights in other states was well.
Laaman's projected release date is 11-14-2038. http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=10372-016&x=97&y=26
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
and Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. His family emigrated to the US from Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
when he was a child. He has a son. He is currently serving a 53-year prison sentence for his role in the bombings of United States government buildings while a member of the United Freedom Front
United Freedom Front
The United Freedom Front was a small American Marxist organization active in the 1970s and 1980s. It was originally called the Sam Melville/Jonathan Jackson Unit, and its members became known as the Ohio 7 when they were brought to trial...
, an American leftist group which robbed banks, bombed buildings, and murdered law enforcement officers in the 1980s.
In the 1960s, Laaman worked in Students for a Democratic Society
Students for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
and community organization and advocated against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and racism. He facilitated youth development in the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
and the Puerto Rican Young Lords
Young Lords
The Young Lords, later Young Lords Organization and in New York , Young Lords Party, was a Puerto Rican nationalist group in several United States cities, notably New York City and Chicago.-Founding:...
street gang.
In 1972 he was arrested and charged with bombing a Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
reelection headquarters building and a police station in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
and was sentenced to 20 years. However, he was released in 1978.
In 1979. he and Kazi Toure helped to organize the Amandla
Amandla (power)
Amandla is a Xhosa and Zulu word meaning "power". The word was a popular rallying cry in the days of resistance against Apartheid, used by the African National Congress and its allies. The leader of a group would call out "Amandla!" and the crowd would respond with "Awethu" or "Ngawethu!" ,...
Festival of Unity to support an end to apartheid in Southern Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, which featured musician Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
.
He was eventually caught with several other members of the United Freedom Front, referred to as the Ohio 7, including leader Tom Manning
Tom Manning (prisoner)
Born to a Boston postal clerk, Thomas "Tom" William Manning is known for his involvement in the murder of a police officer during a routine traffic stop, and for his involvement with the United Freedom Front who bombed a series of US military and commercial institutes in the 1970s and early...
in 1984. While originally charged with seditious conspiracy
Sedition
In law, sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that is deemed by the legal authority to tend toward insurrection against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent to lawful authority. Sedition may include any...
, Laaman was found guilty of five bombings, one attempted bombing, and criminal conspiracy, and sentenced to 53 years in prison.
In 1977, an important New Hampshire State Supreme Court case was won by Laaman.
Laaman v. Helgemoe, 437 F. Supp. 269 (NH 1977). R. Helgemoe was the warden of the New Hampshire State Prison. Laaman sued to receive reading material which he was refused. (Helgemoe claimed that the material was radical, seditious, and even bomb-making instructions.) The New Hampshire court decided in favor of Laaman, and this case eventually was used as a justification for offering college level education in the NH prisons for the first time. The case has been cited for various reasons with respect to prisoners' rights in other states was well.
Laaman's projected release date is 11-14-2038. http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=10372-016&x=97&y=26
Writings
- Jan Laaman (Contr. Author) "This Country Must Change: Essays on the Necessity of Revolution in the USA" (Arissa Media Group, 2009). ISBN 9780974288475.