Neo-Nazi Known for Anti-LGBTQ Hate Changes Gender, But Is Imprisoned in Men's Prison

Changed Gender Right Before Imprisonment After Fleeing and Extradition

Concerns Raised Over Potential Abuse of the Self-Determination Act

A notorious neo-Nazi figure in Germany, infamous for making hate speech against LGBTQ+ individuals, legally changed gender to female before serving a prison sentence—but was ultimately incarcerated in a male prison.

According to the German weekly magazine Der Spiegel and other sources, the Ministry of Justice in Saxony recently reported that far-right activist Marla Svenja Liebig, 55, who was extradited from the Czech Republic, was admitted on July 15 (local time) to Zeithain Prison, which houses male inmates.

Far-right activist Marlà Svenja Liebig from Germany. He changed his gender from male to female before imprisonment but was eventually incarcerated in a male prison. Screenshot from social networking service (SNS)

Liebig was sentenced to one year and six months in prison on charges including hate speech, defamation, and insult—such as calling LGBTQ+ festival participants “parasites of society” in 2023. Before incarceration, Liebig fled to the Czech Republic in August last year but was extradited back to Germany on July 14.

Immediately after extradition, Liebig was temporarily placed in Chemnitz Women’s Prison, based on legal recognition as a woman. However, the prison authorities determined, after comprehensive consideration of the safety of other female inmates and operational concerns, that accommodation was not possible; as a result, Liebig was transferred to a male prison.

Constanze Geierth, Saxony’s Minister of Justice, commented, “It is fortunate that the correctional authorities quickly resolved the situation and avoided unnecessary controversy.”

Liebig used the Self-Determination Act, enacted in November last year, to change legal gender to female and also changed the name to “Marla Svenja Liebig.” This law, introduced amid criticism that the previous procedures disproportionately infringed upon the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, simplifies the process by allowing people to change their legal gender through registration at an office—without the need for a court order or psychiatric evaluation.

However, since Liebig had openly criticized LGBTQ+ individuals in the past, public criticism arose that the change of gender might be an act of mocking this minority group or exploiting loopholes in the law.

German authorities notified Liebig, now legally recognized as a woman, to serve the sentence in a women’s prison, but Liebig refused to comply and fled to the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, Liebig was detained in Pilsen Prison, where most of the inmates are male, and even claimed that serving time in a male prison in Germany would endanger their life if extradited.

Following this incident, calls have emerged in Germany to strengthen safeguards against abuse of the Self-Determination Act. The states of Saxony, Thuringia, and Saxony-Anhalt have requested the federal government to revise the law so that, in cases of clear abuse like Liebig’s, a separate review procedure is required.

According to the federal government, a total of 28,364 people changed their legal gender under the Self-Determination Act between its implementation and March this year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.