An RT journalist has been barred from attending a conference hosted by Emmanuel Macron in Elysee palace. The reporter was told that the president “was clear” about RT: access for the channel’s staff is denied.

Kyrill Kotikov, working for RT France, was stopped by security at the gates of the palace where Macron was due to give a speech at the international conference on Libya on Tuesday.

Kotikov had the conversation recorded. “The president was clear about Russia Today,” one of the officers is heard saying after journalist’s documents were checked. Kotikov was carrying a press card as instructed by the palaces’ press office.

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He asked why he was denied access despite having the same type of credentials that another journalist had been allowed in with. The officer explained that as long as he works for RT, “he can’t enter the palace.”

Macron has been harboring a grudge against RT crew since the start of his presidential campaign, revoking the accreditation of the news outlet and labeling the channel, along with the Sputnik news agency, as “propaganda” feeds.

The French leader and his team accused Russia of interference in the election, claiming that Russian hackers attempted to gain access to their data and impede the work of their website in the lead-up to the presidential vote. Moscow has denied any interference.

RT crew has been repeatedly barred from covering working visits of Macron. In January this year another RT France correspondent was denied entry to the Elysee Palace with Macron’s representative saying the RT reporter was “not a journalist”.

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