Czech police seek German extradition request for far-right fugitive

Czech authorities confirmed on Friday the arrest of convicted far-right extremist Marla Svenja Liebich, formerly known as Sven Liebich, who spent months on the run after failing to report to a women's prison in Germany last year, reported dpa.

German prosecutors said on Thursday that Liebich was detained in the Czech town of Luby under a European arrest warrant and was now in police custody.

Czech authorities have asked Germany to submit an extradition request, a statement from prosecutors in the eastern German city of Halle said on Friday.

Prosecutor Dennis Cernota told dpa that a request will be submitted. Liebich can consent to extradition or oppose it; in the latter case, Czech courts will decide on the next steps.

If extradited, Liebich is to be taken to Chemnitz, where the Saxon judiciary would assume jurisdiction.

Liebich was due to start serving a sentence by August 29, 2025 at the latest but failed to report to the women's prison in the city of Chemnitz.

In July 2023, Liebich – then known as Sven Liebich – was convicted by the Halle district court of incitement, defamation and insult, and sentenced to one year and six months in prison without parole. Appeals against the ruling were unsuccessful.

Following the conviction, Liebich legally changed their gender marker from male to female and adopted the name Marla Svenja, with authorities initiating proceedings to challenge those changes.

However, prosecutors say the pending decision has no impact on the ongoing criminal case or extradition process.