Jaan Laaman

Who is Jaan Laaman?

Jaan Karl Laaman grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts and Buffalo, New York. His family emigrated to the United States 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 in the 1980s.

In the 1960s, Laaman worked in Students for a Democratic Society and community organizations 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 re-election 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.