German neo-Nazi jailed for inciting hatred changes gender in bid to go to women’s prison
A bearded neo-Nazi thrown behind bars in Germany for inciting hatred has now legally changed his name and gender in an apparent bid to be transferred to a women’s prison — because he’s afraid of “discrimination.”
Sven Liebich, 53, is currently serving an 18-month sentence in a men’s jail in Saxony after being convicted last year on a handful of hatred and defamation charges, local outlet Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reported.
But the right-wing extremist, who is in the process of appealing the sentence, recently opted to change identity and now goers by Marla-Svenja Liebich.
“I am afraid of discrimination,” the convicted felon said in a statement.
Despite the stunning twist in the case, the outlet noted that Liebich hasn’t changed appearance since the gender shift — and now even has a longer beard.
Liebich, who has ties to neo-Nazi party The Homeland and the far-right Alternative for Germany party, made the move in an apparent attempt to get moved to a female-only prison, according to the outlet.
Officials, though, say the legal change doesn’t guarantee a re-location.
“There is no automatic guarantee that a man will be sent to a women’s prison after changing his gender and name,” a spokesperson for the local prosecutor’s office said. “In each case, there will be an individual review.”
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Germany’s federal criminal register said Liebich’s gender change wouldn’t impact the extremist’s criminal record.
“The physical legal person remains. A change in the civil status law is of secondary importance,” the rep said.
Liebich’s gender shift came about due to reforms to the country’s self-determination law, which allows people to change their name and gender on official documents without undergoing a psychiatric assessment.
Liebich is notoriously known in the eastern German city as the organizer of the “Montagsdemo” — a weekly right-wing demonstration.
Authorities have previously described the inmate as a known “right-wing extremist.”
Liebich has also been pictured wearing Nazi-style armbands and taking part in rallies brandishing red, white and black flags, the outlet said.
