Trans neo Nazi inspired by Poulton musician Ian Stuart Donaldson to serve sentence in German men's prison

A trans woman right wing extremist arrested for their membership of a neo Nazi terror group set up by a Poulton musician will be extradited to Germany to serve time in a male prison.

German-born Marla Svenja Liebich’s extradition was ordered by a regional court in the Czech Republic to Germany.

He was held after fleeing from his own country for his membership of the outlawed Blood and Honour group set up by Poulton skinhead Ian Stuart Donaldson.

Liebich is a high ranking member of the German arm of the group - a right wing movement with its roots on the Fylde coast.

The group was established in 1987 by Donaldson and had links with extremist groups like Combat 18.

Donaldson originally set up the organisation to promote 'white power' racist music released by his band Skrewdriver, which he formed in his home town of Poulton in the mid to late 70s.

The group began playing covers of Rolling Stones songs before becoming part of the punk movement in 1976.

Donaldson moved the band to London where they had found limited success as a straight ahead punk outfit. When the band split he moved back to Poulton and worked as a civil servant.

He became involved with the far right National Front (NF) and reformed Skrewdriver as a 'white power' band performing their racist setlist of songs across Europe although, outside of private right wing groups and neo Nazi festivals, the group were banned from most venues in the UK.

Donaldson said he set up Blood and Honour because he did not believe the NF was sufficiently racist. Its name is taken from a Nazi slogan that was used by the Hitler Youth.

He died in a Derbyshire car crash in September 1993, aged 36, but Blood and Honour has continued to operate ever since.

Neo-Nazi Liebich was arrested on April 9, in Schönbach near Asch in the Czech Republic, close to the border with Germany, after months of a Europe-wide manhunt.

Liebich testified before the district court in Pilsen that she did not want to be brought to Germany because, among other reasons, she was afraid of dying in a German men's prison.

After Liebich refused extradition for the first time following their arrest in the Czech Republic, the Halle public prosecutor's office in Saxony-Anhalt, which is responsible for the case on the German side, filed an application for extradition. The regional court in Pilsen has now ruled on this.

As soon as the decision on the extradition is legally binding, Liebich is to be handed over to the German authorities and taken to the prison in Chemnitz.

The right-winger was sentenced in Germany in July 2023 - at that time still as a man with the first name Sven - by the district court in Halle to a total prison sentence of one year and six months without probation for incitement of the people, defamation and insult.

After the conviction, Liebich had his gender changed from male to female. In addition, Sven's name was changed to Marla Svenja.

Critics considered this a provocation and spoke of an abuse of the German Self-Determination Act.

Last year Blood and Honour iwas dealt a blow when the UK Government froze its assets, linking the groupwith far right domestic terrorism.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he suspected the organisation of "being involved in terrorist activities".

In the UK, it is now a criminal offence to offer the group funding or financial services

A UK government spokesperson said: "The designation of Blood and Honour is a clear signal that the UK works proactively to stop terrorist financing and will take action against any who try to exploit the UK financial system or this activity.

“Anti-fascist group Searchlight said Donaldson had become a far right martyr since his death.

"Blood and Honour was formed by Donaldson, a prominent Nazi and singer in the neo Nazi band Skrewdriver and has been at the forefront of the white power music scene.

"It supported underground neo Nazi terror cells and has been banned in Germany since 2000.

"Liebich emerged as a street level propagandist and provocateur. He first gained prominence in the 1990s as part of Blood and Honour's Eastern German chapter.

"Donaldson has become a hero to racist thugs worldwide and his organisation is banned in several countries for its links to terrorism.

"Memorial events in his name are notorious magnets for violence and internal feuds between rival factions."