German neo-Nazi fugitive does not want to be a woman any more

A convicted German neo-Nazi, whose gender change before a scheduled prison sentence caused uproar, has applied to change legal identity again while remaining on the run, Marla-Svenja Liebich told Euronews in an interview.

“I want to separate my private life from my public persona,” Liebich said.

“I no longer want to be Marla Svenja because others have ruined it for me,” Liebich explained in writing, claiming an identity crisis. "Being a woman no longer feels right. Because of all the hate and smear campaigns against me."

Meanwhile, “Marla Svenja Liebich is a brand and continues to exist without ageing. The avatar is separate from the person,” Liebich said.

The 54-year-old was sentenced to 18 months in prison in July 2023 for incitement to hatred. The sentence was handed down when Liebich was still legally male and known as Sven Liebich.

In January, Liebich used Germany's Self-Determination Act to officially change gender to female through a simple declaration at a registry office in Schkeuditz.

The law allows German citizens to change their legal gender without medical or psychological assessments.

Liebich's latest request, however, is set to be more complicated.

Failed to appear at prison

Liebich was due to begin serving the sentence at Chemnitz women's prison on 29 August but failed to appear. German authorities issued an arrest warrant.

On 5 August, before the scheduled prison date, Liebich filed to change gender registration again to either "diverse" or "not registered". German law requires a three-month waiting period between such changes.

The registry office has refused to process the change without Liebich appearing in person. An appointment was scheduled for 6 November but Liebich did not attend.

Although Leibnich did not reveal the new name, if it became public, "it would have been a thermonuclear media bomb," Liebich told Euronews, claiming this is why authorities refuse to cooperate and why they insisted on the prison sentence in the first place.

Liebich has filed a formal complaint against the decision, arguing that a notarised signature should suffice. The deadline for submitting the signature is 6 February 2026.

Whereabouts unknown

Liebich's current location remains unclear. The day after failing to report to prison, social media posts suggested Liebich might have fled to Russia.

Liebich subsequently shared AI-generated images with Moscow in the background.

"I would first have to get back to Kaliningrad — that would be easy — and then to Germany without being checked at the border. I obviously can't do that," Liebich told Euronews.

According to Liebich, a European arrest warrant is now in effect covering the entire Schengen area. Euronews could not independently verify this claim or confirm Liebich's current whereabouts.

Liebich has been active in Germany's far-right scene since the 1990s and was a member of the banned neo-Nazi organisation Blood and Honour. German domestic intelligence services classify Liebich as a right-wing extremist.

Before the gender change, Liebich had referred to queer people as "parasites of society". The conviction stems from multiple offences, including distributing baseball bats inscribed with "deportation helpers".

Controversy over motives

The case has fuelled debate in Germany about potential misuse of the Self-Determination Act. Critics argue Liebich's gender change was strategic rather than genuine.

"Looking back, many probably think I planned all of this, but that's not the case. I just react as smoothly as possible," Liebich told Euronews, quoting Bruce Lee: "Be water, my friend."

Regarding the conviction, Liebich characterised it as merely "speech offences" and said: "Nothing serious. They just wanted me gone."

“I have black-and-white proof of what else was illegal. My constitutional complaint was formally correct, but they decided not to accept it,” Liebich said.

Liebich's final statement at sentencing lasted 29 hours, though Liebich had initially estimated 14 to 16 hours.

While some have heavily criticised Liebich, others have made comparisons to Till Eulenspiegel, a medieval German trickster figure. However, Liebich is convinced the choice was right.

"Since 15 January, I've been the world-famous Nazi drag queen. Even injunctions can't erase that," Liebich concluded.