Germany: Gender switch neo-Nazi sent to men's prison

German neo-Nazi Marla Svenja Liebich was transferred to a men's prison on Thursday, despite being legally registered as a woman.

Liebich changed the legal gender entry from male to female and adopted the first names Marla Svenja in 2025. Critics described the move as a provocation and an abuse of Germany's self-determination law.

What do we know about the decision?

The management of a women's prison in the eastern city of Chemnitz made the decision after Liebich was extradited from the Czech Republic on Wednesday.

Liebich was initially taken to the Chemnitz facility but was moved later that day to Zeithain prison in the Meissen district, the state of Saxony's Justice Ministry told the dpa news agency.

"Tricks, deceptions and games never succeed within the rule of law. It is fortunate that the correctional facility acted swiftly to clarify the situation and refused to play along with staged theatrics," Geiert said in a statement.

The move "prioritised the safety of women in the Chemnitz correctional system," she said.

Officials said the decision followed a conversation with Liebich and a medical examination.

Why is Liebich in prison?

Liebich was sentenced in July 2023 to 18 months in prison without parole for incitement to hatred, defamation and insult. The sentence was due to begin in August 2025.

The 55-year-old disappeared last August after failing to report to a women's prison in Germany to serve the sentence.

Czech authorities arrested Liebich in April.

Liebich has been a high-profile figure in eastern Germany's right-wing extremist scene for decades.

Liebich has regularly organized far-right demonstrations since 2014, many of them in the central market square in Halle. The events repeatedly led to confrontations with counterprotesters and several court cases.

A court has yet to decide whether the changes can be reversed.

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko

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