A German neo-Nazi, who “changed gender” and had been in hiding since last August to avoid serving a prison sentence, was arrested in the Czech Republic, German judicial authorities told Agence France-Presse.

Sven Liebich, who now says he is called Marla-Svenja Liebich, “changed gender” after the previous government of Olaf Scholz approved the “Self-Determination Act” in late 2024.

The case attracted significant attention in Germany last summer.

Sven Liebich was sentenced to 18 months in prison for incitement to hatred, defamation, and insult. However, he did not report to the women’s prison in Chemnitz to serve the sentence and fled abroad.

Liebich’s “gender change” sparked debate in Germany about the implications of the “Self-Determination Act,” which allows a person to change their name and gender simply by submitting an application to the local registry office.

The change is finalized with a second application within three months of the initial one, without requiring medical documentation. Many believe that Sven changed gender to provoke authorities and to obtain better prison conditions.

Women’s rights activists fear that male sex offenders could exploit this regulation to gain access to spaces intended for women and young girls.

The public prosecutor of Halle, Dennis Chernotha, clarified that Sven Liebich’s arrest was carried out on the basis of a European arrest warrant. The prosecutor’s office will now begin the process of extraditing him to Germany.