Trial of the Far-Right Extremist Liebich Concludes
In a significant development, Marla-Svenja Liebich's case involving charges of dangerous bodily harm stemming from an altercation with a reporter at a Leipzig protest against COVID-19 measures has been provisionally dismissed by the Leipzig Regional Court (Landgericht Leipzig). This decision, announced in early July 2025, brings an end to a nearly five-year legal saga.
The incident, which took place in 2020, saw Liebich, who has previously been subject to prosecution for other offenses, receive a seven-month prison sentence without probation from the Leipzig Local Court (Amtsgericht) in 2023. Three co-defendants also received suspended sentences. All four appealed the conviction, leading to the recent review by the Regional Court.
The dismissal of the charges comes following a trial at the Leipzig Regional Court, during which video footage was presented depicting the reporter striking Liebich after an altercation. However, Liebich had admitted to holding the reporter during the incident. After the trial, Liebich declined further comment.
It is worth noting that Liebich remains embroiled in other legal matters. Earlier this year, the Naumburg Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Saxony-Anhalt sentenced her to a year and a half in prison for charges including incitement of racial hatred (Volksverhetzung), defamation, and insult. This verdict is now final.
The dismissal of the bodily harm case does not impose any further conditions or requirements on Liebich. Judge Berthold Pfuhl, who presided over the appeal trial, noted that the protest on 7 November 2020 was chaotic and dynamic, suggesting a conviction for a lesser offence was possible in the appeal trial.
The summary of the cases is as follows:
| Case Type | Court | Date | Outcome | Notes | |---------------------|---------------|---------------------|----------------------------------|---------------------------------------| | Dangerous Bodily Harm | Local Court (Amtsgericht) Leipzig | 2023 | 7-month prison sentence (no probation) | All four appealed conviction | | Dangerous Bodily Harm (Appeal) | Regional Court (Landgericht) Leipzig | July 2025 | Charges provisionally dismissed | No conditions imposed | | Incitement, Defamation, Insult | Higher Regional Court (OLG) Naumburg | Earlier 2025 | 1.5-year prison sentence (final) | Unrelated to Leipzig bodily harm case |
While the bodily harm case from the Leipzig protest is now closed, Marla-Svenja Liebich still faces imprisonment due to her other convictions in unrelated cases. No further action is currently pending regarding the Leipzig incident.
Liebich, through her lawyer, expressed regret for the incident but denied any physical attack. The investigation against the journalist was discontinued.
The dismissal of the bodily harm charges against Marla-Svenja Liebich marks a significant step in this long-running legal saga. However, her legal troubles are far from over, with the sentence from the Naumburg Higher Regional Court still pending.
In light of the dismissal of the dangerous bodily harm charges, the Leipzig Regional Court case joins the general-news and crime-and-justice categories, given Marla-Svenja Liebich's history of legal troubles. Following the Leipzig Local Court's initial 7-month sentence in 2023, the legal saga lingered until July 2025, when the Leipzig Regional Court provisionally dropped the charges.
