Maria-Svenja Liebich, who was known as Sven at the time they were convicted in July 2023, will be held in a women’s prison after changing their gender on a simple deed poll in Germany, according to international reports.
Liebich was sentenced to one and a half years’ imprisonment without parole by the Halle district court after being convicted of extremist activities. Liebich later attempted to appeal the sentence unsuccessfully.
Once a member of the neo-Nazi group Blood and Honour, Liebich was found guilty of extreme right incitement to hatred, defamation, and insult.
In 2024, the convicted neo-Nazi changed both their name and official gender, and Liebich has since announced on X/Twitter that they will be initially held at a women’s prison.
The Self-Determination Act
The Self-Determination Act, which only came into force in November of last year, enabled Liebich to be placed in a prison aligning with their self-described gender identity, according to DW News.
Liebich’s place of residence was also taken into consideration when deciding on the placement of their incarceration.
The Justice Ministry of Saxon told the local daily Mitteldeutsche Zeitung that psychological or medical reports can be used in certain cases to ascertain whether someone is legitimately transgender or whether they are trying to take advantage of the system.
The decision to hold Liebich in a women’s prison has not been without controversy in Germany, with many pointing to the homophobic and transphobic statements made by Liebich in the past as evidence that they do not truly identify as a woman despite declaring themselves as such.
"Whether the change is serious is doubtful," wrote Der Spiegel. "Liebich has been known for years for her right-wing extremist views and has also made queerphobic statements in the past."
Liebich attempted to take legal action against media outlets that expressed skepticism about their gender change, according to BBC News. The Press Council reportedly rejected a complaint against Der Spiegel.