A convicted neo-Nazi who changed gender has avoided being sent to a men’s prison and has now applied to be legally recognised as non-binary – despite being on the run from authorities.
Marla-Svenja Liebich, a far-Right extremist convicted of inciting hatred, has submitted a new request to alter gender status after previously registering as a woman ahead of sentencing in Germany.
The move comes after Liebich skipped bail and failed to report to a women’s prison in Chemnitz, Saxony, where the sentence was due to be served. Authorities say Liebich is now a fugitive.
In comments to Euronews, Liebich said the latest application was driven by personal distress and public backlash.
‘I want to separate my private life from my public persona,’ Liebich said.
‘I no longer want to be Marla Svenja because others have ruined it for me. Being a woman no longer feels right. Because of all the hate and smear campaigns against me.
‘I really do have doubts about my gender identity; the harassment makes me feel neither like a fully fledged woman nor a man, so it must be something else.’
Marla-Svenja Liebich, a far-Right extremist convicted of inciting hatred, has submitted a new request to alter gender status after previously registering as a woman ahead of sentencing in Germany
The move comes after Liebich skipped bail and failed to report to a women’s prison in Chemnitz, Saxony
Liebich was sentenced in July 2023 for multiple offences, including slander and incitement to hatred, after being photographed at far-Right rallies wearing a Nazi-style uniform.
The case attracted international attention in late 2024 when Liebich applied to change gender from male to female shortly before sentencing – a move that resulted in plans for the sentence to be served in a women’s prison rather than a male facility.
Before the gender change, Liebich had a long record of anti-LGBT rhetoric and had previously referred to LGBT people as ‘parasites of society’. Liebich also disrupted a Pride event in Halle, in eastern Germany, fuelling speculation that the transition was politically motivated or intended to secure more favourable prison conditions.
Despite being ordered to report to Chemnitz women’s prison, Liebich failed to appear and later posted ‘love from Moscow’ on social media, alongside an AI-generated image depicting the Russian capital.
Now, while still on the run, Liebich has submitted a further request to change gender status to non-binary.
German rules require individuals to appear in person at a registry office to formally change gender.
Liebich is arguing that this requirement violates personal rights, claiming attendance would result in immediate arrest and prevent the gender change from going ahead. An official technical supervisory complaint has been lodged on that basis.
The case has become a flashpoint in the debate surrounding Germany’s self-determination law, introduced in 2023 under Olaf Scholz.
The legislation allows citizens to change their legal name and gender through a registry office without medical assessments or expert opinions.
Liebich, previously known as Sven Liebich, is considered by German domestic intelligence services as a ‘right-wing extremist’
Under the law, individuals may change gender up to twice a year, and deliberately using incorrect pronouns can be treated as a criminal offence.
While the reforms were designed to support transgender, intersex and non-binary people, critics argue Liebich’s case exposes loopholes that can be exploited by offenders seeking to influence sentencing or prison placement.
The controversy mirrors similar disputes elsewhere. In Scotland, convicted rapist Isla Bryson transitioned while awaiting trial for two rapes committed while living as a man and was initially placed in a women’s prison before being moved following public outrage.
Attempts to introduce comparable gender reforms in Scotland in 2023 were blocked by the UK government.
In England, Jessica Winfield was transferred to a women’s prison in 2017 after transitioning while serving a life sentence for offences including rape.
