Bahrain yesterday denied drawing up blacklists of people who are barred from travelling to other countries, a report said.

"The role of Bahraini authorities is to bar people from leaving or entering their territories - in accordance with the law," Interior Ministry assistant under-secretary for legal affairs Colonel Mohammed Rashid Bouhamoud was quoted as saying in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

The clarification followed the decision of the UAE authorities to bar Al Wasat newspaper's editor-in-chief Mansoor Al Jamri and his wife Reem Khalifa from entering its territories.

Bahrain defended the move as part of the UAE's inalienable national sovereignty.

"Each country draws up lists of people who are allowed to enter its territories in addition to others who are persona non grata, taking into account its internal affairs," Col Bouhamoud said. – TradeArabia News Service