The Minister of Justice: Liebich will be 'arrested sooner or later'

ministerdeclarates: Liebich's arrest is 'imminent' - Liebich will eventually be apprehended

In a series of events that have raised eyebrows and sparked controversy, Marla Svenja Liebich, a convicted right-wing extremist, has been missing since failing to report to prison in Chemnitz last Friday.

Liebich, who was formerly known as Sven Liebich, was sentenced to a total prison term of one year and six months without probation for incitement, defamation, and insult. Despite being a non-violent offender, Liebich attended all trial dates.

The authorities have defended their handling of the case, with Saxony's Minister of Justice, Constanze Geiert, stating that it is not a normal procedure but should be considered in relation to other crimes. Geiert also suggested that the Self-Determination Act, which simplified changes to the gender entry and first name, may not apply to the criminal justice system in the future.

The new Self-Determination Act, which came into force in November 2024, allowed Liebich to change their gender entry from male to female and their first name to Marla Svenja. Geiert has proposed to reform the Self-Determination Act by explicitly excluding the penal system and criminal prosecution from its scope, allowing registrars to doubt the seriousness of persons wanting to use the law.

This proposal follows the case of Liebich and aims to avoid misuse while keeping the law in place with adjustments. The Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), has also called for a change to the Self-Determination Act.

The debate about the new Self-Determination Act has been reignited by Liebich's case. There has been ongoing criticism of the authorities' handling of the case, including from the Public Prosecutor's Office in Halle. The Saxony-Anhalt state parliament will examine the authorities' handling of the case in the coming week to see if any mistakes were made.

Geiert has expressed her expectation that Liebich will be arrested "sooner or later." In a conversation with "Der Spiegel," she called for a review right for registry officials if they have doubts about the seriousness of a person who wants to use the Self-Determination Act.

It is important to note that both the appeal and the subsequent appeal for Liebich's case failed. The current status is that Saxony's Justice Minister Constanze Geiert is proposing these reforms to the Self-Determination Act to prevent future misuse of the law while maintaining its essence.