German far-right activist transferred to men's prison after extradition, despite legal gender change

From women's to men's prison

On 15 July, hours after being extradited from the Czech Republic, Marla-Svenja Liebich was taken to the women's prison in Chemnitz, Saxony. Later the same day, prison management decided to transfer her to the men's correctional facility in Zeithain. The Saxony justice ministry said the decision followed an interview with Liebich and a medical examination, and was taken in consultation with experts. The ministry stressed that the safety of female inmates was a key factor. Justice Minister Constanze Geiert was not involved in the decision.

It's good that the prison quickly set the record straight and did not get drawn into any theatrics.

A controversial gender change

Liebich, 55, has been a prominent figure in eastern Germany's far-right scene for decades. In 2023, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison for incitement to hatred, defamation, trespass, and insult. After Germany's Self-Determination Act came into force on 1 November 2024, allowing individuals to change their legal gender by simple declaration, Liebich registered as female in late 2024. The move was widely seen as a provocation: Liebich is openly hostile to LGBT rights and had disrupted a pride parade in 2022, calling participants "parasites of society". Critics allege the gender change was a tactical attempt to influence prison assignment or discredit the new law.

Flight and extradition

Liebich was ordered to begin her sentence at the Chemnitz women's prison in August 2025 but never appeared. She fled to the Czech Republic, where she posted hundreds of messages on social media taunting authorities. Czech police arrested her in early April 2026 in a town near the German border. At an extradition hearing in May, she argued that being sent to a German men's prison would endanger her life, but Czech courts rejected her objections. She was handed over to German officials on 15 July. When detained, she was wearing men's clothing and had a shaved head, according to German media reports.

Legal basis for the transfer

Under Saxony's prison law, male and female inmates are generally held separately, but exceptions are permitted. The law allows deviations based on the "personality and needs of the prisoners, the goal of incarceration, and the safety and order of the institution, including the interests of other prisoners." An accompanying administrative regulation calls for "individual solutions" for trans, intersex, and non-binary persons to avoid isolation or stigmatisation. Prison authorities used this discretion to move Liebich, though they declined to disclose specific reasons, citing privacy rules.

Reactions and political fallout

Saxony's Justice Minister Constanze Geiert, a member of the conservative CDU, praised the prison's swift action and called for a rapid reform of the self-determination law. The federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, also CDU, announced a review of the legislation after taking office last year but has not yet implemented changes. Meanwhile, the Halle district court is examining a case brought by local authorities to annul Liebich's gender change, arguing it was an abuse of the law. Senior prosecutor Dennis Cernota told dpa that authorities in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt had coordinated closely before the transfer. Until the court rules, Liebich remains legally female. Her social media accounts, reportedly managed by third parties, denounced the transfer as a scandal and questioned whether the self-determination law still applied.

Tricks, deceptions and games never succeed in a state governed by the rule of law.