(NewsNation) — Russia’s Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, sent a thinly veiled threat to Hollywood actor George Clooney, accusing him of using his foundation “to hunt down Russian journalists all over the world and persecute them.”

“A certain mediocre actor called George Clooney has decided to use his Foundation to hunt down Russian journalists all over the world and persecute them,” Medvedev posted on X.

Medvedev accused Clooney of trying to get Russian journalists arrested, adding, “The effort would be wasted, however: our professional journalists will find him first. They are very attentive and highly trained people. And they are going to have a chat ‘from dusk till dawn.'”

The Clooney Foundation for Justice, which the actor created with his wife, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, has drawn heat from Russian officials, who say its effort is a crusade to arrest Russian journalists.

Medvedev’s hostile message referencing Clooney’s 1996 film “From Dusk Till Dawn” seems to be in response to a recent interview given by a member of Clooney’s foundation. The interview said, in part, that the foundation is “focused on bringing to justice the most obvious Russian propagandists.”

The Clooney Foundation for Justice is a global effort to provide support to those suffering from human rights abuses, including war crimes in Ukraine.

Trying to quell the rising tension on social media, Clooney responded to the threats, saying the person from his foundation misspoke in the interview.

“I’m the son of a journalist. We at the Clooney Foundation would never go after journalists, even if we disagree with them. In fact we have a long track record of protecting journalists,” Clooney posted on Instagram.