A convicted German right-wing fugitive who previously changed legal gender ahead of a prison sentence is now seeking to change identity again while evading arrest, testing Germany’s controversial self-identification law for a second time.
In an interview with Euronews, Marla-Svenja Liebich said he no longer wishes to live as a woman and has applied to amend his legal gender status once more, citing an “identity crisis” and hostility directed at his current persona. Liebich, sentenced to 18 months in prison for incitement to hatred, failed to report to Chemnitz women’s prison in August and is now the subject of an arrest warrant.
Liebich, long active in Germany’s neo-Nazi scene, had used the country’s Self-Determination Act to change legal sex earlier this year through a simple registry declaration, without medical or psychological assessment. The move allowed the 54-year-old—formerly known as Sven Liebich—to be assigned to a women’s prison, prompting nationwide controversy.
Authorities say Liebich did not appear to begin serving the sentence on August 29. Since then, his whereabouts have remained unknown, with online posts suggesting—possibly mockingly—that he fled abroad, including to Russia. German police have declined to confirm those claims.
Before absconding, Liebich filed a request to change gender registration again, this time to “diverse” or “not registered.” German law imposes a three-month waiting period between such changes and requires in-person appearances. Officials refused to process the application in absentia, a decision Liebich is now challenging through a formal complaint.
The case has intensified criticism of the Self-Determination Act, which came into force in late 2024 under the previous coalition government. Legal experts, women’s groups, and police unions had warned the legislation could be exploited by criminals seeking procedural advantages. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has since called for tighter safeguards.
Prior to adopting a transgender identity, he publicly derided LGBT activists, burned rainbow flags, and referred to queer people as “parasites of society.” His convictions include selling baseball bats branded as “deportation helpers” and other acts deemed incitement under German law.
Critics argue the case exposes not just loopholes in gender self-identification legislation, but also broader inconsistencies in how authorities and media treat politically charged identity claims.
For now, the fugitive remains at large, while German courts weigh whether the law designed to simplify personal identity changes can—or should—be used by a convicted extremist seeking to stay one step ahead of prison.
