[3] Jahn became active in protests opposing militarization and censorship in East Germany, resulting in multiple arrests until he was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment in 1982 for displaying a flag of the forbidden Polish non-communist trade union Solidarity.

[5] Jahn was arrested and forcibly extradited to West Germany via train on 8 June 1983 under order of the Minister of State Security Erich Mielke.

Jahn's East German lawyer Wolfgang Schnur was later revealed to have worked for the Ministry for State Security (Stasi).

He has been employed as a journalist for the public Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting program Kontraste since 1991 and received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1998.

[6] Jahn's term of office will last five years and he will be charged with public access and administration of the Stasi Records Agency.