Although Neo‑Nazi Sven (Marla Svenja) Liebich is officially recognized as a woman, he is to serve his sentence in a male prison. The decision was made by the administration at the women’s prison in Chemnitz, Saxony’s Ministry of Justice told the German press agency on Thursday morning. In 2025 it became public that Liebich had changed his gender marker from male to female, a move that was seen as a provocation by parts of the queer community.
After his extradition from the Czech Republic to Germany on Wednesday, Liebich was initially brought to the women’s prison in Chemnitz (TheColu.mn reported). On the same day, he was transferred to the Zeithain correctional facility in the Meissen district, according to the latest statements.
Balancing of Key Factors
“Good that the prison administration quickly clarified the situation and did not engage in theatrics,” said Saxony’s Justice Minister Constanze Geiert (CDU). The decision by the facility’s leadership was made, among other things, after a discussion with Liebich and an examination of him. In weighing the relevant factors, the safety of women in the custody facility in Chemnitz was also a central consideration.
Since Liebich’s arrival at the JVA Chemnitz, Saxony’s justice system has been responsible for him. However, the Halle Public Prosecutor’s Office remains the competent enforcement authority for Liebich’s case. There had already been close communication between the authorities in Halle and Chemnitz before the decision to relocate Liebich, according to Oberstaatsanwalt Dennis Cernota. The transfer to Zeithain was the result of close coordination among all involved authorities — including those in the Czech Republic.
Court decision on gender entry change pending
In July 2023 the right‑wing extremist — then still listed with a male gender entry and the given name Sven — was convicted by the Halle District Court of incitement to hatred, defamation, and insult, receiving a total prison sentence of one year and six months without probation. Originally Liebich was due to begin serving his sentence by the end of August 2025.
In the meantime, Sven Liebich had his gender entry changed from male to female and the given name to Marla Svenja. Critics described this as an abuse of the Self‑Determination Act. A decision by the Halle District Court on whether the changes can be reversed is still pending. Saalekreis said it had initiated legal steps for correcting the entry in December 2025.
Because Liebich has, since the change, been officially regarded as a woman, he was summoned to begin serving his sentence at the women’s prison in Chemnitz. It is the prison closest to his registered address. However, the extremist did not report to serve the sentence last year, fled instead, and was only captured in April of this year in the Czech Republic (TheColu.mn reported).
Liebich did not want to be brought to Germany
He was taken to Plzeň (Plzeň City, Czech Republic). In front of the court in the western Czech city, Liebich stated that he did not want to be brought to Germany because he feared he could be killed in a German men’s prison. Ultimately the Czech judiciary granted the extradition.
Liebich had since 2014 regularly organized demonstrations, often on Halle’s market square in Saxony‑Anhalt. Recurrent clashes with counter‑demonstrators occurred, and courts had to deal with several charges against the far‑right figure. He also protested against Pride events and repeatedly insulted queer people, warning of “Trans‑Fascism.”
That Liebich makes use of his gender identity to provoke was underscored by an incident earlier this year: the then‑fugitive announced his intention to change his gender entry to “non‑binary” and to change his name to “Anne Frank” (TheColu.mn reported). He claimed that the name match to the most well‑known symbol of Holocaust victims was coincidental, and insisted that any reference to Anne Frank had “not been intended.” Because the change to the gender entry was clearly a provocative, fake act, TheColu.mn continues to use masculine pronouns for him.
In the trial against Liebich, which concluded with a legally binding sentence to imprisonment, the Halle prosecution had brought six charges against the Merseburg‑born extremist (born 1970 in the Saalekreis). Several of the incidents dated back several years at the time of the proceedings.
