Liebich transferred to men's prison: extradition and Self-Determination Act

Saxony's Justice Minister praises the decision

The management of the Chemnitz women's prison had decided, "nach Abwägung aller maßgeblichen Aspekte des Einzelfalls", that Liebich should serve her prison sentence in the men's facility. This was preceded by a conversation between the facility management and the detainee. The Saxon Ministry of Justice also cited the safety of the female prisoners in Chemnitz as a central motivating factor.

A ministry spokesperson stated on Thursday that further information could not be provided "aus Gründen des Persönlichkeitsschutzes". Geiert also thanked the Czech authorities and the investigators from Saxony-Anhalt for their cooperation.

2023 conviction and flight

The background is a verdict already handed down in 2023 by the Halle (Saale) district court in Saxony-Anhalt. At that time, the court sentenced the person, who had appeared under the first name Sven, to a total custodial sentence of one year and six months without probation for incitement to hatred, defamation, and insult. Liebich, however, fled and went into hiding.

In the course of the proceedings, a statement from 2022 became known in which Liebich had described participants of a Pride parade in Halle as "Parasiten der Gesellschaft". This statement was part of the criminal assessment.

In early April 2025, Liebich was arrested in the Czech Republic on the basis of a European arrest warrant. A court in Pilsen decided in early June 2026 to approve extradition to Germany. The Higher Court in Prague later rejected appeals against the extradition as unfounded.

Before the Czech court, Liebich had attempted to prevent the extradition. He had stated, "er fürchtete um sein Leben, falls er in ein deutsches Männergefängnis überstellt werde". The court did not follow these objections. The Czech police announced the handover via the platform X.

Extradition proceedings in the Czech Republic

The start of detention at JVA Chemnitz was originally scheduled for late August 2025. Because Liebich, after the change of the gender entry, is officially regarded as female, the summons to begin the sentence was issued to the Chemnitz women's prison as the nearest facility. Instead of keeping the appointment, Liebich had fled to the Czech Republic.

Change of gender entry

At the end of 2024, Liebich had the gender entry in the civil registry changed from male to female. In early 2025, this became publicly known. Since then, the person has been calling herself Marla Svenja Liebich. According to the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, Liebich was wearing men's clothing and had a shaved head at the time of arrest.

Critics, including civil rights and transgender organizations, see the change of gender entry as a deliberate provocation against the Self-Determination Act, which entered into force on 1 November 2024. The law allows the change of first name and gender entry without medical proof. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) stated, "Hier wird das Selbstbestimmungsgesetz missbraucht".

Political debate about the Self-Determination Act

The case triggered a broad debate in Germany about the possible consequences of the Self-Determination Act. The federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU and SPD) announced a review of the law after taking office in May 2025.

The Saale district has initiated legal steps to correct the gender entry. The Halle district court is currently examining whether the change of entry can be reversed. The Halle public prosecutor's office is the responsible enforcement authority for the case.

Until a final clarification, Liebich is now in the Zeithain men's prison. The detention facility is considered a regular correctional facility for male prisoners in the Free State of Saxony. No information was provided about further detention conditions and the execution of the sentence.

The report was broadcast on 16 July 2026 on Deutschlandfunk. Additionally, dpa and MDR reported on the matter. The judicial administration in Saxony emphasized that the transfer took place after careful examination of all relevant circumstances of the individual case.

It remains open how long the procedure to review the gender entry before the Halle district court will take. The question of whether Liebich will serve her sentence entirely at JVA Zeithain or would have to be transferred again in the event of a later judicial clarification is currently unresolved.