Croatia's foreign ministry will "request the relevant civil service tribunal to suspend Elizabeta Madjarevic from diplomatic service" following her racist and xenophobic statements on her social media profiles, Foreign Minister, Gordan Grlic-Radman, said on Monday.

“The facts which have to date been established show beyond doubt that she has violated her professional obligations,” Grlic-Radman said.

“We do not prejudge the outcome, and we expect the appropriate sanctions for this serious breach of work obligation,” the minister said, explaining that the case was submitted to the civil service tribunal.

He added that Madjarevic, who has been the first secretary in Croatia’s embassy in Berlin since the start of this year, was not hacked, as claimed by the diplomat after some web portals in Croatia reported that she spread xenophobic, racist and anti-LGBT views on her Facebook profile.

As soon as the news broke about this case, the ministry distanced itself from Madjarevic’s statements and she was promptly recalled from Berlin.

The ministry says on its web site that it “distances itself from statements or behaviour marked by xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, regardless of who it is coming from or their rank in the diplomatic hierarchy.”

The ministry underscores that “diplomats are well aware that whatever they do privately or in their free time can and does have to do with their diplomatic job.”

“The right to a different opinion and freedom of expression cannot mean that the Croatian Constitution and other laws as well as international conventions can be disrespected. People who have chosen the diplomatic calling accept the responsibility of representing their country and all institutions and people of their homeland abroad during their diplomatic mandate both officially and privately and they are supposed to adhere to the official policy of the Republic of Croatia. In that regard, the rules regulating the rights and obligation of the Croatian Foreign Service employees are perfectly clear,” the ministry says on its web site.

Also on Monday, the Croatian foreign minister met the German Ambassador to Croatia, Robert Klinke, for the talks on this matter and after the meeting the minister said that the incident would not harm the Croatia-Germany relations.

“The incident will not mar our dialogue,” the Croatian minister said who was recently appointed the minister after having been the Croatian ambassador to Germany.