German ‘right-wing extremist’ who was pictured wearing a Nazi-style arm band ‘changes gender in hopes of being transferred to female prison’

A jailed German neo-Nazi has legally changed their name and gender in a bid to be transferred to a women’s prison.

Sven Liebich last year was convicted of inciting hatred and defamation. 

The 53-year-old and is serving an 18-month sentence in a men’s jail in Saxony, eastern Germany.

Now Liebich has chosen to identify as Marla-Svenja Liebich and is appealing the sentence.

In a statement, the convicted felon said they were ‘afraid of discrimination’.

Liebich has been pictured wearing Nazi-style armbands and taking part in rallies brandishing red, white and black flags. 

Despite the change of identity, it is reported that Liebich has not changed appearance and has an even longer beard.

According to local paper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, the 53-year-old made the change in an attempt to be moved to a female-only prison.

Liebich made use of a recent reform to German rules on self-identification, which allows people to change their first name and gender on official documents without a psychiatric assessment. 

Sven Liebich, 53, was convicted last year on charged of inciting hatred and defamation

The convicted criminal has now chosen to identify as a woman in an attempt to be moved to a female prison

The convicted criminal has now chosen to identify as a woman in an attempt to be moved to a female prison

Marla-Svenja Liebich, formerly Sven, at a a rally on Pariser Platz in Berlin in 2019

Marla-Svenja Liebich, formerly Sven, at a a rally on Pariser Platz in Berlin in 2019

Officials have said that this does not guarantee a relocation. 

A spokesperson for the local prosecutor’s office said: ‘There is no automatic guarantee that a man will be sent to a women’s prison after changing his gender and name.

‘In each case, there will be an individual review.’ 

A spokesman for Germany’s federal criminal register said a change in gender would not impact Liebich’s criminal record. 

They said: ‘The physical legal person remains. A change in the civil status law is of secondary importance.

Liebich is known in the eastern German city as the organizer of the ‘Montagsdemo’— a weekly right-wing demonstration. 

Authorities have previously described Liebich as a known ‘right-wing extremist’.

The new rules on gender changes came into force in November 2024.  

At the time German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it was part of the ‘modernisation of the country.  

He said: ‘We show respect to trans, intersex and non-binary people – without taking anything away from others.’

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