Despite being legally registered as a woman, German neo-Nazi Marla Svenja Liebich was transferred to a men’s prison on Thursday.
Liebich changed legal gender entry from male to female and adopted the first name Marla Svenja in 2025. Critics called the move provocative 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 took the decision after Liebich was extradited from the Czech Republic on Wednesday.
Saxony state’s Justice Ministry told the dpa news agency that Liebich was initially taken to the Chemnitz facility, but was later moved to Ziethen prison in the Meissen district.
Geert said in a statement, “Tricks, deceptions and games never succeed under the rule of law. It is fortunate that the correctional facility acted quickly to clarify the situation and refuses to play along with stage theatrics.”
“This move prioritizes the safety of women in the Chemnitz correctional system,” he said.
Officials said the decision was taken after a conversation with Liebich and a medical examination.
Why is Liebich in jail?
Liebich was sentenced in July 2023 to 18 months in prison without parole for incitement to hatred, defamation and insult. The sentence was scheduled to begin in August 2025.
The 55-year-old woman disappeared last August after failing to report to a German women’s prison to serve her sentence.
Czech authorities arrested Liebich in April.
Liebich has been a high-profile figure in East Germany’s right-wing extremist scene for decades.
Liebich has organized regular far-right demonstrations since 2014, many of them on Halle’s central market square. These incidents led to repeated confrontations with counter-protesters and several court cases.
The court has yet to decide whether the changes can be reversed.
Edited by: Dmytro Lyubenko
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