Who is the UFF?

Tom Manning and Jaan Laaman arepolitical prisoners imprisoned for theirinvolvement in actions carried out by theUnited Freedom Front (UFF) and the SamMelville-Jonathan Jackson Unit (SM-JJ).

In 1985-86, members of these groupswere tried and convicted for conspiracy andbombing of unoccupied military and corpo-rate facilities. For a decade these guerrillaunits targeted governments and corpora-tions who engaged in criminal activities inSouth Africa and Central America. Ratherthan verbally support the resistance move-ments in foreign lands, the UFF/SM-JJ Unitbrought the war home to those who spon-sored and facilitated these bloody warsagainst humanity.

Sentences for the UFF/SM-JJ Unit pris-oners ranged from 45 to 53 years in prison.The two remaining UFF prisoners havelengthy histories of political activism in vari-ous groups including Southern StudentsOrganizing Committee, Students for aDemocratic Society, Vietnam VeteransAgainst the War, SCAR, and AMANDLA!They are fathers and have worked in facto-ries, agriculture, and construction. Theyhave been confined in some of the worstmaximum-security prisons including thegovernmentʼs infamous AdministrativeMaximum (ADX) in Florence, Colorado.

While the intellectual architects andbutchers of South Africaʼs apartheid systemgo free, the UFF prisoners who resistedthis crime against humanity are forgotten.While those who profited politically and

economically from bloody wars against thepeople of Central America go about busi-ness as usual, the UFF prisoners remaincaged.

Conviction at a government-orchestratedpolitical trial is not the same as being guiltyof a crime. Itʼs the position of the UFF pris-oners that they exercised their responsibili-ties under international law in activelyopposing human rights violations perpetuat-ed, aided and abetted by the U.S. govern-ment and corporate greed.

Such responsibilities are outlined in theNuremberg Principles, which came intobeing following the defeat of Nazi Germany.These principles state that “crimes againsthumanity”- the subjugation, persecution,and murder of innocent people - requirescitizens to take whatever actions are neces-sary to prevent or stop these crimes.

The government tried to silence theseresisters and refuses to recognize them aspolitical prisoners, for to do so would be anadmission of its own criminal acts. Onlythrough the commitment and work of manypeople will political prisoners be able tocomplete the “long walk to freedom” asNelson Mandela and others have. The firststep is at the grassroots - educating peopleto the existence of these prisoners and whytheyʼre imprisoned.

Shortly after the attacks in New York in2001, many of the political prisoners in theU.S., including members of the UFF, wereimmediately placed in isolation. Prisonershad little, if any, contact with family mem-bers, lawyers and/or support groups. Noother reason besides political beliefs, canexplain the isolation of these prisoners.

Many people fought and died resistingdecades of racist apartheid in South A f r i c a .During these same years, thousands werekilled in El Salvador, Nicaragua, andGuatemala during the struggles for land,bread and freedom. One cold fact of the

matter is that the US government andAmerican corporations provided extensivesupport to the mass killers who ruled thesecountries for the benefit of the racist andwealthy elite.

These battles are not over. The A m e r i c a npolitical government has sentenced politicalprisoners to death by incarceration. T h e yhave been sentenced to death by isolationand a lack of adequate medical treatment.Confined in US prisons today are politicalprisoners who actively resisted this govern-m e n t ̓s crimes against humanity and warcrimes. They will remain there until theirfinal breath unless we, as people of con-science, unite to free them.

During a March, 1998 trip to SouthAfrica, US President Clinton publicly admit-ted that the US had been “complicit” in itssupport of the racist apartheid system dur-ing its bloodiest years. He added that nowis the time to “honor” those who resistedapartheid. But where is the honor andamnesty for those anti-racist fighters cur-rently held in US prisons who resistedapartheid? There is none, and will be none,until we the people demand justice.

"Revolution is never beguna n e w, only continued whereothers left off." - Tom Manning

Write to Jaan Laaman and Tom Manning at:

Tom Manning#10373-016

P.O. Box 1033Coleman, FL 33521

USP Coleman I

Jaan Laaman10372-016

P.O. Box 24550Tucson, AZ 85734

USP Tucson

Jericho Amnesty CoalitionPO Box 34186

Los Angeles, CA 90034

Anarchist Black Cross Federation(ABCF)

PO Box 11223Whittier, CA 90603email: la@abcf.net

YOU CAN HELP BY GIVING POLITI-CAL PRISONERS A VOICE AND VISI-

BILITY

THE TRUTH CAN SET THEM FREE!

United Freedom FrontPolitical Prisoners

Free Jaan and TomOn December 7,2005, after 26-yearsof imprisonmentRichard Wi l l i a m spassed away in aButner FederalPrison. Richard wasone of the lastremaining UFF pris-oners. R i c h a r d ’s death was

directly related to the 15 months of iso-lation following 9/11. The isolation andinhumane treatment ultimately brokehis health. Despite such conditionsR i c h a r d ’s spirit and determinationremained strong to his very last breath. Richard will always be remembered notonly for his commitment to those whos u ffer under repressive systems butalso for his endless love and devotionto those who had the pleasure to callhim a comrade. Words cannot conveythe loss this world has endured withthis man’s passing. Few could compareto his dedication to the human spirit.

Richard Williams Remembered

Tom Manning and Jaan Laaman

Tom Manning Jaan Laaman