Overview

• Marla‑Svenja Liebich, a longtime figure in the neo‑Nazi scene, is due to begin an 18‑month term in the Chemnitz women’s facility on Friday based on her registered female sex and residence.
• The Halle prosecutor’s office said the placement followed legal criteria tied to civil registry data, with any relocation dependent on the prison’s security evaluation.
• Liebich changed name and legal sex under the Selbstbestimmungsgesetz, which enables gender change by self‑declaration at the civil registry.
• Jurists and major outlets describe the move as a provocative or abusive use of the procedure; Germany’s Press Council dismissed Liebich’s complaint over media using male pronouns.
• The Saxony Justice Ministry is assessing the case, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt urged measures to prevent similar abuses as governing parties prepare a legal review by mid‑next year.