A swastika painted on a window was discovered inside a “secure” area of the US embassy in Bulgaria, the Axios news site reported Sunday.
The Nazi symbol was painted in purple ink on a window shade in an area that can only be accessed by those who worked in the diplomatic mission. The discovery was made on January 28, the day after International Holocaust Memorial Day, the report said, citing a State Department cable reporting on the incident.
The discovery came just months after a swastika was found carved into an elevator at the United States State Department, near the office of the special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism.
“The department takes this matter extremely seriously,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told Axios. “We unequivocally condemn any instances of hate or bias in the workplace, which this appears to be.”
“This is a repugnant symbol that stands for everything we as a department are standing against,” he said. “We are committed to doing everything possible to ensure the State Department, including our posts overseas, remain a welcoming, inclusive and bias-free workplace.”