Convicted cross-dressing neo-Nazi Sven, or Marla-Svenja, Liebich, has been arrested in the Czech Republic after going on the run from German authorities following his conviction.Liebich had been sentenced to a year and a half in prison for extreme right incitement to hatred, defamation, and insult by a district court in July 2023; he was ordered to appear at prison in August 2025.After he failed to appear at the prison to begin his sentence, a continent-wide search began, with rumours circulating that he was in Russia, a rumour he strengthened by posting photos claiming to be in the country.He gained notoriety, not only for his crimes but also for his newfound appearance and identity in the courtroom. He had begun dressing as a woman and legally changed his gender and his name from Sven to Marla-Svenja.This action was done under Germany's Self-Determination Act, which is in place to simplify how individuals can change their name or gender. Many German media outlets have speculated that Liebich's transition was done to make a mockery of the new act and the German government as a whole..In 2025, the German Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt called Liebich's transition a "clear case of abuse."This speculation has been helped by the fact that when he was arrested, he had a shaved head and was wearing men's clothing.He was arrested in Krásná, a town to the east of the Czech capital of Prague. It has been reported that he had briefly tried to resist or evade capture by authorities.It is expected that he will be extradited to Germany to fulfill his initial sentence and will likely be charged with additional crimes given his attempt to evade jail time.
