German neo-Nazi Marla Svenja Liebich has been transferred to a men's prison despite being legally registered as a woman. After extradition from the Czech Republic, Liebich was initially taken to a women's prison in Chemnitz but was moved later that day to Zeithain prison in Saxony.

The state of Saxony's Justice Ministry said the decision followed a conversation with Liebich and a medical examination. The assessment also considered the safety of women held at the Chemnitz prison. Justice Minister Constanze Geiert stated, "It is good that the prison quickly provided clarity and did not get drawn into any staging."

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

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, but Liebich failed to report to prison and fled Germany. Czech authorities arrested Liebich in April.

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.

Source: www.dw.com