German Far-Right Activist Transferred from Women's to Men's Prison After Gender Change
Details of Marla-Svenja Liebich's Prison Transfer and Legal Controversy
Background of the Case
BERLIN, July 16 (Reuters) - German far-right activist Marla-Svenja Liebich, who legally changed gender to a woman in 2024, has been taken to a men's prison after being extradited to Germany from the Czech Republic, officials said on Thursday.
Liebich arrived in Germany on Wednesday and was initially taken to a women's prison in Chemnitz in the eastern German state of Saxony before being transferred to a men's prison on the same day, the Saxony Ministry of Justice said.
Decision-Making Process
The decision was taken by experts in consultation with the prison management and the minister of justice was not involved in the decision, it said.
"It's good that the prison quickly set the record straight and did not get drawn into any theatrics," Saxony Minister of Justice Constanze Geiert said.
Legal Gender Change and Sentencing
Liebich's legal gender change has drawn controversy regarding prison assignments in Germany. She was sentenced while legally a male in 2023 and was handed an 18-month prison term for offences including incitement to hatred, insult, trespass, and defamation.
Impact of the Self-Determination Act
After Germany's Self-Determination Act came into effect on November 1, 2024, permitting individuals to amend gender identification documents, Liebich legally changed gender to female.
This required her transfer to Chemnitz women's prison under Saxony's prison rules. Criticism followed, with some alleging tactical misuse of the law and warning of potential loopholes.
Escape and Extradition
Liebich failed to report to the women's facility in August 2025 and fled. Czech police apprehended her in 2026 in a town near the German border.
She told an extradition hearing in the Czech Republic in May that she was opposed to returning to Germany on concern about being placed in a men's prison.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Kirsti Knolle and Linda Pasquini; editing by Matthias Williams and Sharon Singleton)
