Russia and RT Sputnik excluded from UK conference on media freedom | News from the United Kingdom

The Foreign Office has banned Russian news agencies RT and Sputnik from attending a world conference on media freedom in London because of their "active role in spreading misinformation".

Some 60 ministers and 1,000 journalists and members of civil society are expected at the joint meeting with Canada on Wednesday and Thursday.

"We have neither accredited RT nor Sputnik because of their active role in disseminating misinformation," said a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry. "Although it is not possible to respond to all requests for accreditation, media journalists from around the world attend the conference, including from Russia."

The Russian Embbady had previously condemned the decision relating to RT as a "direct discrimination of a political nature" and had indicated that she had complained to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a statement on Friday, it was reported to RT that RT had been informed that there was no room for his reporters at the conference.

After the Foreign Office comments on Monday, RT said in a statement: "It takes some hypocrisy to defend press freedom while banning uncomfortable voices and defaming alternative media"

In December, the British media regulator Ofcom had found that RT had breached the rules of impartiality by broadcasting several programs after the attack of a nerve agent in the English city of Salisbury. Moscow denied London claims that it would have approved the attack of a former Russian double agent in March last year.

The organizers of the London conference said that it was planned to intensify international discussions and cooperation on the issue of media freedom, including false information.

Amal Clooney, an international human rights lawyer, will serve as Britain's special envoy on freedom of the media. It will convene the first meeting of a group of independent experts to study ways to strengthen national legislation to protect journalists.

The final list of guests has not yet been published, but officials said the only countries not invited to the conference were North Korea, Syria and Venezuela.

Before the conference, Britain had announced £ 18 million to fight misinformation in Eastern Europe and strengthen independent media in the Western Balkans. It is part of a £ 100 million five – year pledge targeting Eastern Europe and Central Asia.